Friends who often drive on the highway have noticed that the anti-collision walls on the roadside are painted with yellow and black paint? These yellow and black paints are not simple. They are special reflective paints for highways. They not only play a decorative role, but also serve as guardians of road safety. Today, we will reveal how this ordinary-looking reflective paint can achieve a retroreflection coefficient of up to 350, and how it protects our driving safety!
What is retroreflection coefficient?
Before we want to understand the special reflective paint for highways, let us first understand what the retroreflection coefficient is. The retroreflection coefficient refers to the reflective ability of the material under the irradiation of light. In reflective paint, a high retroreflection coefficient means a stronger reflective effect. Drivers at night can see the road and obstacles more clearly, improving driving safety. Generally speaking, high-efficiency reflective paint with a retroreflection coefficient of 350 can produce a more obvious reflective effect within a distance of several hundred meters.
It is not easy to apply reflective paint with a retroreflection coefficient of 350 on the highway anti-collision wall. It is not only a reflection of high-tech optical materials, but also a display of the rigorous skills of the construction workers. You may say that it is just a piece of paint, but what you say is amazing. Don't worry, I will explain it in the following three aspects. I believe you will understand it after I finish talking!
1. High refractive index reflective paint crystals
The core of reflective paint is tiny crystals, which we call reflective crystals. This reflective crystal is not simple. First of all, its diameter is 800-1200 mesh, and it is all wrapped by a nano-aluminum film. This tiny crystal is very, very small, about the size of flour. , and its refractive index can reach an astonishing above 1.95. You may not understand the concept here. First of all, you need to know that the natural material with the highest refractive index in the world is diamond. Its refractive index is 2.42. When the light shines on it, it shines in four colors, making countless girls flock to it! You may say that the refractive index of the reflective crystals in reflective paint is still smaller than that of diamonds, but you have to know that the application of diamonds in the optical field is laser, and its cost and application are completely different. It is very difficult for reflective crystals to have such a small diameter (like flour) and a refractive index of more than 1.95, which shows its high technological content.
2. Topcoat with good permeability
The topcoat must maintain good permeability. A poor topcoat will look "turbid", or the color may be heavy, not transparent enough, or not bright enough. However, if the topcoat is too transparent, it will result in insufficient color and cannot cover the color of the substrate itself. Therefore, the choice of topcoat is very important. Make sure that after the reflective paint crystals are mixed with the topcoat, the edges and corners of the crystals can be clearly displayed. Poor permeability may greatly reduce the reflective effect. Therefore, the topcoat of highway-specific reflective paint is selected through continuous experiments to achieve a perfect combination of coverage and permeability.
The above solves the hard indicators of the highway facade reflective paint itself. The soft indicators that restrict whether the retroreflection coefficient can reach 350 are the spraying techniques and time of the last step in the highway reflective paint construction method and process!
3. Accurate spraying time control
In the construction process of highway reflective paint, all the previous steps are the same as those of ordinary reflective paint. To put it simply, the base material is polished first, and then the sealing primer is applied. If the base material has too many cracks or Uneven potholes require a mortar layer, etc. The previous steps are the same, just be careful when spraying the topcoat. The time between topcoat spraying and crystal spraying must be controlled at about 1-2 minutes. After spraying the topcoat, we need to spray our reflective crystals evenly while it is still wet. Too early or too late will affect the reflective effect. Too early may make the crystals deeply buried in the paint, and too late may make them float on the surface. , affecting durability.
Key steps in construction
Material preparation: Choosing high-quality topcoat with good permeability and high-refractive index crystal is the guarantee of high-quality reflective paint, which is directly related to the quality of the reflective effect.
Topcoat application: The application process of topcoat is very important. It needs to ensure uniform application and good permeability, which lays a good foundation for subsequent reflective paint construction.
Crystal spraying: Control the crystal spraying time to about 1-2 minutes. This is a key step in the construction and directly affects the quality of the reflective effect. Too early may cause the reflective paint crystals to become silent in the paint, affecting the reflective effect; too late may cause them to float on the surface, reducing the durability of the coating.
The future of reflective paint
Today, with the continuous development of science and technology, reflective paint technology is also constantly innovating. For example, reflective crystals with a refractive index as high as 2.2 are almost available. In the future, we are expected to see the emergence of smarter, more environmentally friendly reflective paints with higher retroreflection coefficients, providing a higher level of safety for night driving.
Conclusion
High highway-specific reflective paint with a retroreflection coefficient of 350 is not just a simple decoration. It is a powerful assistant for driving at night, providing drivers with a brighter driving environment. Through scientific preparation technology and meticulous construction process, we can see more eye-catching reflective signs on the road, contributing to traffic safety. Driving safely starts with reflective paint!
