Infrared radiation absorbing articles and method of manufacture

1. A method for making an infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture, comprising:

forming an ITO coating mixture comprising ITO and a first coating matrix, wherein the first coating matrix comprises a first partial condensate of a first silanol wherein the first silanol comprises greater than or equal to 70 wt % of silanol of the formula CH 3 Si(OH) 3 based on a total weight of the first silanol in the first coating matrix, wherein the ITO coating mixture is free of a colloidal silica; wherein no polymeric dispersant is added to the ITO coating mixture; wherein the ITO coating mixture comprises 10 to 50 wt % solids, wherein the solids comprise 10 to 70 wt % ITO and 30 to 90 wt % of the first partial condensate;

forming a colloidal silica coating mixture comprising colloidal silica and a second coating matrix, wherein the second coating matrix comprises a second partial condensate of a second silanol wherein the second silanol comprises greater than or equal to 70 wt % of silanol of the formula CH 3 Si(OH) 3 based on a total weight of the second silanol in the second coating matrix; wherein the colloidal silica coating mixture comprises 10 to 50 wt % solids, wherein the solids comprise 10 to 80 wt % of the colloidal silica and 20 to 90 wt % of the second partial condensate;

wherein one or both of the colloidal silica coating mixture and the ITO coating mixture comprise a sufficient amount of an acid to provide a pH of 3.0 to 6.0; and

mixing the ITO coating mixture with the colloidal silica coating mixture to form the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture;

and

wherein the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture does not comprise a precipitate visible to an unaided eye after 2 weeks without stirring; and

wherein the ITO comprises particles and wherein greater than or equal to 90% of ITO particles have a diameter of less than 61 nm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the ITO coating mixture further comprises aging the ITO coating mixture.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein no polymeric dispersant is added to the colloidal silica coating mixture or the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first coating matrix and the second coating matrix are the same.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture comprises an amount of polymeric dispersant such that if the ITO were mixed directly with the colloidal silica coating mixture to form a sample mixture having the same amount of polymeric dispersant as the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture, visible precipitation occurs in the sample mixture in less than or equal to one week with no agitation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ITO has a mean particle size of less than or equal to 60 nm as determined by dynamic light scattering.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture comprises less than or equal to 0.05 parts by mass polymeric dispersant with respect to 1 part by mass ITO.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the colloidal silica coating mixture and the ITO coating mixture comprise a UV absorber.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aging one or both of the colloidal silica coating mixture and the ITO coating mixture prior to the mixing; wherein the aging comprises agitating for greater than or equal to 24 hours or agitating for greater than or equal to 1 hour at a temperature of 35 to 65° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture to a substrate.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a cure catalyst to one or more of the colloidal silica coating mixture, the ITO coating mixture, and the infrared radiation absorbing coating mixture.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cure catalyst comprises a quaternary ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cure catalyst comprises tetra-n-butylammonium acetate (TBAA), tetra-n-butylammonium formate, tetra-n-butylammonium benzoate, tetra-n-butylammonium-2-ethylhexanoate, tetra-n-butylammonium-p-ethylbenzoate, tetra-n-butylammonium propionate, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cure catalyst is present in an amount of less than or equal to 2 wt % based upon a total weight of solids in the respective first coating matrix or second coating matrix.