Highly reflective roofing system

1. A cool roofing system comprising:

at least one asphalt layer and at least one granular layer directly adhered to a top surface of the asphalt layer,

wherein the granular layer comprises a plurality of highly reflective calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles having a solar reflectance ranging from about 80% to about 92% prior to any added surface treatment and a particle size ranging from about 0.3 mm to about 2.4 mm wherein the highly reflective bright white crushed kaolin particles comprise crushed kaolin chamotte particles,

wherein the highly reflective, calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a surface treatment consisting of a clear coating,

wherein, when the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles are applied to the asphalt layer used for roofing materials, the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a resultant reflectance between about 70-82% substantially fully covering the surface of the asphalt layer in the cool roofing system providing a minimum solar reflectance of 70% or more; and

wherein the clear coating is selected from the group consisting of silanes, siloxanes, polysiloxanes, organo-siloxanes, silicates, organic silicates, silicone resins, acrylics, urethanes, polyurethanes, glycol ethers and mixtures thereof.

2. The cool roofing system according to claim 1 , wherein the clear coating comprises a solventless emulsion comprising silanes and siloxanes.

3. The cool roofing system according to claim 2 , wherein the clear coating improves adherence of the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles.

4. A cool roofing system comprising:

a roofing substrate,

at least one layer of spray polyurethane foam applied to the roofing substrate,

an elastomeric coating layer applied over and adhered to the spray polyurethane foam layer, and

a granular layer directly adhered to the elastomeric coating layer,

wherein the granular layer comprises a plurality of highly reflective calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles having a solar reflectance ranging from about 80% to about 92% prior to any added surface treatment and a particle size ranging from about 0.3 mm to about 2.4 mm wherein the highly reflective bright white crushed kaolin particles comprise crushed kaolin chamotte particles,

wherein the highly reflective, calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a surface treatment consisting of a clear coating,

wherein, when the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles are applied to the elastomeric layer used for roofing materials, the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a resultant reflectance between about 70-82% adhered to the elastomeric layer in the cool roofing system providing a minimum solar reflectance of 70% or more; and

wherein the clear coating is selected from the group consisting of silanes, siloxanes, polysiloxanes, organo-siloxanes, silicates, organic silicates, silicone resins, acrylics, urethanes, polyurethanes, glycol ethers and mixtures thereof.

5. The cool roofing system according to claim 4 , wherein a thickness of the spray polyurethane foam layer ranges from about 1 inch to about 3 inches.

6. The cool roofing system according to claim 4 , wherein the elastomeric coating layer comprises any one of an acrylic, urethane or silicone.

7. The cool roofing system according to claim 4 , wherein the clear coating comprises an emulsion of silanes and siloxanes.

8. The cool roofing system according to claim 7 , wherein the clear coating improves adherence of the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles.

9. A cool roofing system consisting of an asphalt layer and a granular layer directly adhered to a top surface of the asphalt layer, wherein the granular layer comprises a plurality of highly reflective calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles having a solar reflectance ranging from about 80% to about 92% prior to any added surface treatment and a particle size ranging from about 0.3 mm to about 2.4 mm wherein the highly reflective bright white crushed kaolin particles comprise crushed kaolin chamotte particles and, wherein the highly reflective, calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles are surface treated with a clear coating, and wherein, when the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles are applied to the asphalt layer used for roofing materials, the resultant solar reflectance of the cool roofing system is between about 70-82%.

10. The cool roofing system according to claim 9 , wherein the clear coating is selected from the group consisting of silanes, siloxanes, polysiloxanes, organo-siloxanes, silicates, organic silicates, silicone resins, acrylics, urethanes, polyurethanes, glycol ethers and mixtures thereof.

11. The cool roofing system according to claim 10 , wherein the clear coating comprises a solventless emulsion comprising silanes and siloxanes.

12. The cool roofing system according to claim 11 , wherein the clear coating improves adherence of the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles.

13. A cool roofing system consisting of:

a roofing substrate;

at least one layer of spray polyurethane foam applied to the roofing substrate;

an elastomeric coating layer applied over and adhered to the spray polyurethane foam layer; and

a granular layer directly adhered to the elastomeric coating layer;

wherein the granular layer comprises a plurality of highly reflective calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles having a solar reflectance ranging from about 80% to about 92% prior to any added surface treatment and a particle size ranging from about 0.3 mm to about 2.4 mm wherein the highly reflective bright white crushed kaolin particles comprise crushed kaolin chamotte particles and, wherein the highly reflective, calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles are surface treated with a clear coating, and wherein, when the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles are applied to the elastomeric layer used for roofing materials, the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a resultant reflectance between about 70-82% adhered to the elastomeric layer in the cool roofing system providing a minimum solar reflectance of 70% or more.

14. The cool roofing system according to claim 13 , wherein the clear coating is selected from the group consisting of silanes, siloxanes, polysiloxanes, organo-siloxanes, silicates, organic silicates, silicone resins, acrylics, urethanes, polyurethanes, glycol ethers and mixtures thereof.

15. The cool roofing system according to claim 14 , wherein the clear coating comprises a solventless emulsion comprising silanes and siloxanes.

16. A cool roofing system comprising: at least one asphalt layer and at least one granular layer directly adhered to a top surface of the asphalt layer, wherein the granular layer comprises a plurality of highly reflective calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles having a solar reflectance ranging from about 80% to about 92% prior to any added surface treatment and a particle size ranging from about 0.3 mm to about 2.4 mm, wherein the highly reflective bright white crushed kaolin particles comprise crushed kaolin chamotte particles and wherein the highly reflective, calcined, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a surface treatment consisting of a clear coating, wherein, when the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles are applied to the asphalt layer used for roofing materials, the highly reflective calcined, surface treated, bright white crushed kaolin particles have a resultant reflectance between about 70-82% substantially fully covering the surface of the asphalt layer in the cool roofing system providing a minimum solar reflectance of 70% or more; and wherein the clear coating comprises a solventless emulsion comprising silanes and siloxanes.