SOLARLUX PUTS THE FENZI GROUP’S TECHNOLOGY TO WORK FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

The Fenzi group is taking part in the ongoing energy renewal process involving the entire industrialized world by creating products capable of combining excellent performance with environmental protection. This endeavor has led to the creation of Solarlux: the new complete line of paints for solar mirrors designed to offer both energy efficiency as well as high resistance. Renewable energy sources have become a great opportunity for development and research. In fact, many companies are taking advantage of this sector’s great potential and, with recent investments in research during the current economic crisis, new products are being created with state-of-the-art technology. The Fenzi group, a worldwide chemical leader for secondary processing of flat glass, has also contributed recently to the development of renewable energies with its new products capable of achieving top performance while protecting the environment. This focus on the environment has led to the creation of Fenzi Solar Coatings, the Fenzi group division dedicated to innovative technologies for solar energy. The new division of Tribiano, a trailblazer in new industry trends, has designed Solarlux - a complete line of paints for solar mirrors with high-energy efficiency and resistance. Designed to make the most out of new technologies for solar thermal plants, this new line of paints meets the highest durability and resistance standards. These innovative paints provide long-term protection for the solar mirrors that are located mainly in desert areas and constantly exposed to corrosion by sand, wind, temperature fluctuations and salt aggression. The Solarlux paints guarantee excellent chemical resistance to corrosion and UV radiation, top performance under thermal and environmental stress and outstanding abrasion resistance. Solarlux paints have been designed and produced to meet a wide variety of needs, with different chemical compositions and application methods, and can thus be used in all solar thermal plant systems: the Parabolic Mirror, Disk System, Tower System, etc. In fact, these paints are produced in different versions, for copper and copper-free mirrors, in lead-free or low-lead versions and for different application systems: two-coat (base + top) or three-coat (base + intermediate + top). Tests This new Fenzi product has such innovative characteristics that the specific tests required new reference parameters, which Fenzi obtained in collaboration with the sector leaders. These new tests measure the chemical-physical performance of Solarlux in a variety of critical stress situations, confirming the validity of the technology used in its design and production. Reference tests are: - high resistance to sand abrasion (ASTM D968) - high resistance to humidostatic tests (EN-1036-1 for 480 hours) - high resistance to salt spray (EN-ISO-9227 for 480 hours) - high resistance to CASS Test (four cycles for 480 hours in total, EN-ISO-9227) - high resistance to exposure to climatic cycles (EN-1279-2) - high resistance to UV radiation (QUV test for 3000 hours) - excellent performance under Blue M test (85% RH – 85° for 120 hours) - high resistance to weather fluctuations (Weather Ometer WOM for 3000 hours).