Solar heat reflective roofing membrane and process for making the same

1. A roofing membrane with high solar heat reflectance, the roofing membrane comprising:

a bituminous base sheet comprising a continuous substrate sheet of fibrous material, the continuous substrate sheet being saturated with a bituminous material and coated on at least one side with a bituminous material;

a tie-layer comprising a reinforcement material on the bituminous base sheet;

the reinforcement material comprising mineral particles; and

a solar heat-reflective upper layer on the tie-layer.

2. A roofing membrane according to claim 1 wherein the tie-layer and the solar heat-reflective upper layer interpenetrate.

3. A roofing membrane according to claim 1 wherein the solar heat-reflective upper layer comprises a first polymeric coating comprising at least one first polymeric binder and at least one solar heat-reflective pigment.

4. A roofing membrane according to claim 3 wherein the first polymeric binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylic copolymers, polyesters, polyamides, epoxies, nonacid-containing polyolefins, polyolefin alloys, polypropylene, acid-containing polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, polyester block amide, fluorinated polymers, fluorinated copolymers, ethylene-chlorotrifluorethylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride.

5. A roofing membrane according to claim 1 wherein the solar-heat reflective upper layer comprises an inner sub-layer and an outer sub-layer.

6. A roofing membrane according to claim 5 wherein the outer sub-layer comprises at least one first polymeric binder, the inner sub-layer comprising a second polymeric coating adapted to interpenetrate the tie layer.

7. A roofing membrane according to claim 6 wherein the second polymeric coating comprises at least one second polymeric binder and at least one solar heat-reflective pigment.

8. A roofing membrane according to claim 7 wherein the second polymeric binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylic copolymers, polyesters, polyamides, epoxies, nonacid-containing polyolefins, polyolefin alloys, polypropylene, acid-containing polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, polyester block amide, ethylene-chlorotrifluorethylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride.

9. A roofing membrane according to claim 6 wherein the second polymeric binder is an acrylic copolymer.

10. A roofing membrane according to claim 5 wherein the outer sub-layer comprises a durable material.

11. A roofing membrane according to claim 10 wherein the outer sub-layer comprises a material selected from polyvinylidene fluoride, UV-curable coating compositions, acrylic copolymer compositions, fluorinated copolymer compositions, and silicone emulsions.

12. A roofing membrane according to claim 1 wherein the solar heat-reflective layer comprises titanium dioxide.

13. A roof having high solar heat reflectance, the roof comprising:

a roofing deck;

a roofing membrane with high solar heat reflectance adhered to the roofing deck,

the roofing membrane comprising:

a bituminous base sheet comprising a continuous substrate sheet of fibrous material, the continuous substrate sheet being saturated with a bituminous material and coated on at least one side with a bituminous material;

a tie-layer comprising a reinforcement material on the bituminous base sheet;

the reinforcement material comprising mineral particles;

a solar heat-reflective upper layer on the tie-layer; and

a protective top coating on the upper layer.

14. A roofing membrane with high solar heat reflectance, the roofing membrane comprising:

a bituminous base sheet comprising a continuous substrate sheet of fibrous material, the continuous substrate sheet being saturated with a bituminous material and coated on at least one side with a bituminous material;

a tie-layer comprising a reinforcement material comprising a non-woven web of fibers on the bituminous base sheet; and

a solar heat-reflective upper layer on the tie-layer.

15. A roofing membrane according to claim 14 wherein the reinforcement material is selected from the group consisting of non-woven glass fiber mats, non-woven polyester mats, and composite non-woven mats.

16. A roofing membrane according to claim 15 wherein the reinforcement material comprises an industrial fabric selected from the group consisting of papermaker's forming fabrics and papermaker's canvasses.

17. A roofing material according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement material is formed from yarn, the yarn being selected from the group consisting of mono-filament yarn, multi-filament yarn, spun yarn, processed yarn, textured yarn, bulked yarn, stretched yarn, crimped yarn, and chenille yarn.

18. A roofing material according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement material is formed from yarn, the yarn being formed from a material selected from the group consisting of wool, cotton, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, ethylene tetrafluroethylene copolymer, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, poly(meth)acrylates, aramide, polyetherketone, polyethylene naphthalate, spun glass fibers, and metallic materials.

19. A roofing membrane according to claim 15 wherein the reinforcement material comprises a non-woven glass fiber mat, the mat having a weight per unit area of from about 40 to 150 g/m 2 .

20. A roofing membrane according to claim 19 wherein the mat has a weight per unit area of from about 70 to 120 g/m 2 .

21. A roofing membrane according to claim 19 wherein the mat has a weight per unit area of from about 80 to 100 g/m 2 .

22. A roofing membrane according to claim 15 wherein the reinforcement material comprises a non-woven glass fiber mat, the mat having a thickness of from about 0.01 to 1 mm.

23. A roofing membrane according to claim 1 wherein the mineral particles have an average particle size from about 180 to 850 micrometers.

24. A roofing membrane according to claim 13 wherein the mineral particles have an average particle size from about 180 to 850 micrometers.