Does a Thermal Coating Really Work on Metal Roofs?

May 8
2 min read

A 50-day field evaluation of SuperTherm® on metal containers exposed to direct sunlight.

Overheating in metal roofs and sun-exposed structures is one of the most common challenges in industrial and logistics projects.

In many cases, metal surfaces reach extremely high temperatures during the day, increasing indoor heat gain, affecting comfort, and raising the energy demand of ventilation or air conditioning systems.

But one question comes up repeatedly:

Can a thermal coating actually reduce the temperature of a metal structure in a meaningful way?

To answer that question, we carried out a comparative field evaluation together with BetaPaint and SPI Coatings using the SuperTherm® thermal coating.

How was the study conducted?

The test consisted of monitoring two 20-foot metal containers under the exact same environmental and solar exposure conditions.

Both containers had:

the same orientation,
the same solar exposure,
the same dimensions,
and remained closed throughout the monitoring period.

The only difference was that one container had the SuperTherm® thermal coating applied, while the other did not.

Over approximately 50 days, the following variables were continuously monitored:

indoor temperature,
relative humidity,
thermal behavior,
and surface temperatures through thermographic analysis.

Thermal coating performance results

The results showed significant differences between both scenarios. The uninsulated container reached indoor temperatures of up to 46°C, while the container treated with the thermal coating remained around 33°C under similar solar exposure conditions.

Throughout the monitoring period, the study recorded:

peak temperature differentials ranging from 12.4°C to 16.7°C,
and an average sustained daytime (6AM-6PM) differential of approximately 6.3°C.

Beyond lowering peak temperatures, the insulated container also demonstrated a much more stable thermal behavior throughout the daily cycle.

What did the thermographic analysis show?

Thermal imaging confirmed what the sensors had already revealed. At certain points, the uninsulated metal surface reached temperatures close to 70°C.

In contrast, the coated surface remained significantly cooler, around 32°C under comparable conditions.

This demonstrates how the coating helps reduce thermal radiation absorption on the metal surface and limits heat transfer into the interior space.

It’s not just “white paint”

During one phase of the experiment, a conventional white paint was also tested on the uninsulated container to evaluate whether color alone could generate a similar effect.

Although an initial temporary temperature reduction was observed, high thermal peaks returned in the following days.

This helped differentiate the performance of conventional reflective paint from the overall thermal behavior of the SuperTherm® coating.

Potential applications of thermal coatings

Based on the study results, this type of solution may have important applications in:

industrial metal roofs,
warehouses,
logistics centers,
shipping containers,
lightweight façades,
structures exposed to direct solar radiation,
and energy-efficiency-oriented projects.

Especially in warm and tropical climates, where a significant portion of heat gain comes directly from the metal building envelope.

📄 Access the full technical report

You can also download the complete technical report attached to this article, which includes:

detailed methodology,
comparative performance graphs,
thermographic analysis,
temperature and humidity results,
and the full technical conclusions of the experiment.

At Biotechture, we believe technical decisions should be supported by real data and field testing, especially when evaluating thermal control and energy-efficiency strategies for industrial and commercial projects.