Solar heat-reflective roofing granules, solar heat-reflective shingles, and process for producing same

1. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules comprising:

(a) a base particle comprising an inert mineral;

(b) a first white coating on the base particle, and

(c) a second colored coating on the first coating,

wherein

the first white coating comprises a first coating binder and particles of at least one solar reflecting white pigment having an average reflectance of greater than about 60 percent in the wavelength range of from about 700 to 2500 nanometers, and

the second colored coating comprises a second coating binder and at least one colored nano-pigment having an average particle size of less than about 200 nanometers, an average absorbency of less than about 20 percent in the wavelength range of from 700 to 2500 nanometers, and an L* value of less than 85, the at least one colored nano-pigment being selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, metal titanates, chromium oxides, zinc ferrites, mixed metal oxides, copper oxides, vanadium oxide, magnesium oxide and the halogen adducts,

the solar heat-reflective roofing granules have an L* of less than 55.

2. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 wherein the solar reflecting white pigment particles have an average solar reflectivity of at least 80 percent in the wavelength range from 700 to 2500 nanometers.

3. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 wherein the solar reflecting pigment white particles are selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zinc dioxide, and zinc sulfide.

4. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 wherein the second coating binder comprises a metal silicate binder having a refractive index of less than 1.50, the silicate coating binder including at least one low atomic weight element, other than oxygen or hydrogen, having an average atomic weight less than the average atomic weight of silicon, the at least one low atomic weight element being present in sufficient amount in the coating binder to reduce the refractive index of the binder by at least about 0.003 units.

5. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 , the second coating further comprising at least one supplementary pigment having a particle size of greater than about 200 nanometers an average absorbency of less than about 20 percent in the wavelength range of from 700 to 2500 nanometers.

6. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 5 wherein the at least one supplementary pigment is selected from the group consisting of pearlescent pigments, light-interference platelet pigments, ultramarine blue, ultramarine purple, cobalt chromite blue, cobalt aluminum blue, chrome titanate, nickel titanate, cadmium sulfide yellow, cadmium sulfoselenide orange, phthalo blue, phthalo green, quinacridone red, diarylide yellow, and dioxazine purple.

7. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment has an average particle size of from about 20 to 150 nanometers.

8. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 7 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment is selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, metal titanates, chromium oxides, zinc ferrites, mixed metal oxides, titanium dioxide, zinc oxides, and copper oxides.

9. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment is selected from the group of pigments that have strong near infrared absorbency in macro-pigment form.

10. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment is selected from the group consisting of bone black, copper chromite black, iron oxide black, and KFe 2 (CN) 6 .H 2 O.

11. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules comprising:

(a) a solar-reflective white inert base particle having a solar reflectivity of at least 60 percent; and

(b) a colored coating over the base particle, the coating comprising a binder and at least one colored nano-pigment having an average particle size of less than about 200 nanometers, an average absorbency of less than about 20 percent in the wavelength range of from 700 to 2500 nanometers, and an L* value of less than 85, the at least one colored nano-pigment being selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, metal titanates, chromium oxides, zinc ferrites, mixed metal oxides, copper oxides, vanadium oxide, magnesium oxide and the halogen adducts,

wherein the solar heat-reflective roofing granules have an L* of less than 55.

12. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 11 wherein the solar-reflective inert base particles are selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, ceramic grog, crushed porcelain, and white-pigmented glass.

13. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 11 wherein the coating binder comprises a metal silicate binder having a refractive index of less than 1.50, the silicate coating binder including at least one low atomic weight element, other than oxygen or hydrogen, having an average atomic weight less than the average atomic weight of silicon, the at least one low atomic weight element being present in sufficient amount in the coating binder to reduce the refractive index of the binder by at least about 0.003 units.

14. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 11 , the coating further comprising at least one supplementary pigment having a particle size of greater than about 200 nanometers and an average absorbency of less than about 20 percent in the wavelength range of from 700 to 2500 nanometers.

15. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 14 wherein the at least one supplementary pigment is selected from the group consisting of pearlescent pigments, light-interference platelet pigments, ultramarine blue, ultramarine purple, cobalt chromite blue, cobalt aluminum blue, chrome titanate, nickel titanate, cadmium sulfide yellow, cadmium sulfoselenide orange, phthalo blue, phthalo green, quinacridone red, diarylide yellow, and dioxazine purple.

16. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 11 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment has an average particle size of from about 20 to 150 nanometers.

17. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 16 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment is selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, metal titanates, chromium oxides, zinc ferrites, mixed metal oxides, titanium dioxide, zinc oxides, and copper oxides.

18. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 11 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment is selected from the group of pigments that have strong near infrared absorbency in macro-pigment form.

19. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 11 wherein the at least one colored nano-pigment is selected from the group consisting of bone black, copper chromite black, iron oxide black, and KFe 2 (CN) 6 .H 2 O.

20. Solar heat-reflective roofing granules according to claim 1 , wherein the second colored coating is free of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.