Sol–gel derived Ba/SrTiO3–MgF2 solar control coating stack on glass for architectural and automobile applications

Abstract

Fully dielectric solar control coatings based on alternating layers of Ba (or Sr) TiO3 and MgF2 were deposited on soda lime glass substrates. Three-layered stacks BaTiO3/MgF2/BaTiO3 and SrTiO3/MgF2/SrTiO3 were generated using BaTiO3, SrTiO3 and MgF2 sols deposited on glass using dip coating technique. The multi-layered coating stack was fired at 450oC with different heating rates using a conventional muffle furnace and a conveyorized belt furnace, by which two methods of heat treatment were investigated. Heat treatment after deposition of each layer and a consolidated firing of the three-layered stack with intermediate drying between the layers were carried out and optical properties of the coatings compared. The heat treated coatings were characterized for their UV–Vis–NIR transmittance, microstructure, phase purity, thickness and refractive indices. The coating stack based on BaTiO3 as the high refractive index material in conjunction with MgF2 exhibited better solar control properties than SrTiO3 as the high refractive index material. Moreover, a fast firing of the BaTiO3/MgF2/BaTiO3 stack in a conveyorized belt furnace yielded good NIR blocking and solar control properties, whereas slow firing in a muffle furnace exhibited ~ 80% visible light transmittance with an NIR transmittance of ~ 75%.