Micro-nano tower structure for infrared stealth and solar selective coating

In order to make full use of solar energy and solve the problem of functional incompatibility between solar and infrared spectra, the study has cleverly aimed at the problem by designing Mn_0.6Ni_1.4Co₂O_y multi-functional interface. The Mn_0.6Ni_1.4Co₂O_y coating was obtained by a simple vacuum spraying method. It was found that the coatings prepared with the appropriate amount of MNC/resin ratio (5:5) possessed the high solar absorptivity (0.915) and low infrared emittance (0.245) at ambient temperatures, as well as excellent heat-collecting properties, which suggests that the structure of the Mn_0.6Ni_1.4Co₂O_y is maximally preserved.

Notably, the DSC results confirm that the introduction of Mn_0.6Ni_1.4Co₂O_y into the resin can strengthen the thermal stability of the coating, which is mainly attributed to the fact that Mn_0.6Ni_1.4Co₂O_y can effectively prevent the chain segment movement of the resin. Furthermore, the addition of low-emissivity aluminum powder further reduced the emissivity of the coating to 0.142 and the absorbance/emissivity ratio to 6.22 at room temperature. The coating demonstrated remarkable thermal stability and infrared stealth performance even at 300 °C, meeting the basic requirements of solar selective absorption. This work provides a low-cost and simple spray method for fabricating Mn_0.6Ni_1.4Co₂O_y solar selective absorption coating with great potential in high-temperature infrared stealth applications.

This study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 187, February 2024.