Coating compositions for roofing granules, dark colored roofing granules with increased solar heat reflectance, solar heat-reflective shingles, and process for producing the same

1. A coating composition comprising:

a metal silicate;

at least one non-clay latent heat reactant, the at least one non-clay latent heat reactant comprising from about 3 to 15 weight percent of the coating composition of aluminum fluoride, from about 0.5 to 5 weight percent of the coating composition of sodium silicofluoride, and from about 0.5 to 5 weight percent of the coating composition of Portland cement; and

at least one pigment having high solar reflectance, wherein the at least one pigment is selected from the group consisting of solar reflective pigments having an L* less than 30 and a solar reflectance of at least 20 percent.

2. A coating composition according to claim 1 wherein the at least one non-clay latent heat reactant comprise from about 5 to 11 weight percent of the coating composition of aluminum fluoride, from about 1.5 to 3 weight percent of the coating composition of sodium silicofluoride, and from about 1.5 to 3 weight percent of the coating composition of Portland cement.

3. A coating composition according to claim 1 wherein the metal silicate is selected from the group consisting of ammonium silicate, sodium silicate, potassium silicate and lithium silicate.

4. A substrate coated with the coating composition of claim 1 .

5. A coated substrate according to claim 4 wherein the coated substrate has an L* less than about 30 and a solar reflectance of at least about 20 percent.

6. A coated substrate according to claim 5 wherein the coated substrate comprises an architectural material.

7. Dark colored, solar reflective roofing granules, the roofing granules comprising:

(a) an inert base particle;

(b) at least one coating layer, the at least one coating layer formed from a silicate coating composition comprising

a metal silicate coating binder comprising a metal silicate and at least one non-clay latent heat reactant; and

at least one pigment having high solar reflectance;

the at least one solar reflective pigment being selected to provide roofing granules having an L* less than 30 and solar reflectance of at least 20 percent.

8. Roofing granules according to claim 7 wherein the at least one non-clay latent heat reactant is selected from the group consisting of Portland cement, aluminum fluoride, ammonium silicofluoride, alkali metal silicofluorides, and alkaline earth metal silicofluorides.

9. Roofing granules according to claim 8 wherein the at least one non-clay latent heat reactant comprises Portland cement, aluminum fluoride and at least one alkali metal silicofluoride.

10. Roofing granules according to claim 9 wherein the at least one alkali metal silicofluoride is sodium silicofluoride.

11. Roofing granules according to claim 10 wherein the at least one non-clay latent heat reactant comprises from about 3 to 15 weight percent of the coating composition of aluminum fluoride, from about 0.5 to 5 weight percent of the coating composition of sodium silicofluoride, and from about 0.5 to 5 weight percent of the coating composition of Portland cement.

12. Roofing granules according to claim 11 wherein the at least one non-clay latent heat reactant comprises from about 5 to 11 weight percent of the coating composition of aluminum fluoride, from about 1.5 to 3 weight percent of the coating composition of sodium silicofluoride, and from about 1.5 to 3 weight percent of the coating composition of Portland cement.

13. Roofing granules according to claim 7 , the roofing granules comprising at least two coating layers formed from the silicate coating composition.

14. Roofing granules according to claim 7 wherein the metal silicate is selected from the group consisting of ammonium silicate, sodium silicate, potassium silicate and lithium silicate.

15. Roofing granules according to claim 7 wherein the at least one solar reflective pigment is selected from the group consisting of solar reflective pigments having an L* less than 30 and a solar reflectance of least 20 percent.

16. Roofing shingles comprising dark colored, solar reflective roofing granules, each roofing granule comprising:

(a) an inert base particle;

(b) at least one coating layer, the at least one coating layer formed from a coating composition comprising

a metal silicate coating binder comprising an alkali metal silicate and at least one non-clay latent heat reactant; and

at least one pigment having high solar reflectance;

the at least one solar reflective pigment being selected to provide roofing granules having an L* less than 30 and solar reflectance of at least 20 percent.