Technology · Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation in High Emissivity Coatings
Emisshield's core technology was developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in the early 1990s to protect spacecraft, including the X-33 and X-34 programs, during atmospheric entry. Licensed to Emisshield, Inc. in 2001, that chemistry has since been engineered into 40+ industrial formulations, validated by independent laboratories, a university pilot program, and third-party plant audits, and recognized by induction into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2021.
01
Where does the technology come from?
NASA needed a surface that could absorb intense radiant loads and re-emit them at extreme temperature, through violent thermal shock, without detaching. The materials science that answered that brief is the same science that now lines fired equipment: emissivity of 0.85 to 0.95 constant to 3,100°F, thermal shock tolerance from -392°F to 2,732°F in 3 seconds, and adhesion above 5,000 PSI. Space Technology Hall of Fame
02
What independent research validates industrial performance?
Ghent University, IMPROOF (EU Horizon 2020)
A third-party validation of high emissivity coatings in a steam-cracking pilot furnace. With Emisshield on the radiant walls and ceiling of both cracking cells and the preheat cells left uncoated as a control, the pilot cut fuel 4.8% at steady state with no loss of conversion. Independent lab tests confirmed refractory emissivity rose from ~0.4 to ~0.95, and the program's CFD and radiative modeling projected 7 to 12% energy savings in full-scale ethylene furnaces. Case study
Third-party process-tube coking study, Texas
A major petrochemical company ran a continuous coking study across feeds on Incoloy tubes coated externally. The measured coking index confirmed a large reduction in coke formation; in service, decoke intervals extended from about 9 months to more than 30, with consistent performance beyond 7 years. Case study
Third-party ceramic fiber testing
Six tests over one month across fiber types and temperatures, twelve thermocouples on hot and cold faces. Coated modules showed shrinkage under 1% against 2 to 5% uncoated, a continuous-duty limit roughly 150°C higher, and cold-face temperatures 6 to 10°C lower. Case study
Third-party plant audit, aluminium
An independent auditor compared a coated melting-holding furnace with an uncoated control over six months of production data: roughly 9% less dross, a 12°C higher melt temperature despite a heavier charge, and a measurable casting throughput gain. Case study
Clemson University pilot kiln study
Instrumented pilot-scale evaluation of coating impact on kiln energy and cycle behavior. Technical Papers
Hemispherical emissivity analysis
Thermophysical properties research laboratory measurement of the directional-integrated emissivity that governs behavior in an enclosure. Test Data & Validation
03
How does research translate to customer projects?
The method is engineering-led. Assess the asset through the project questionnaire, select the formulation from the catalog, project savings from historical performance data on comparable installations, apply through certified crews, and measure against baseline. Joint research with industrial partners extends the catalog with application-specific formulations and published results.
04
What does Emisshield's own R&D do?
A dedicated R&D department in Blacksburg, Virginia develops and refines formulations continuously, 40+ products to date, matching new substrate chemistries, atmospheres, and applications, including work relevant to hydrogen firing and decarbonized process heat. Manufacturing and development stay in-house.
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Where is the published work?
Index of technical papers with HTML summaries, each on its own page with objective, method, findings, and citation. See Technical Papers. Bylined by named Emisshield engineers (Person schema).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Emisshield's NASA claim real?
- Yes. The technology was developed at NASA Ames and formally licensed in 2001; Emisshield was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2021, the recognition for space technologies successfully commercialized on Earth.
- Do you publish your test data?
- Key third-party results are public on this site in the Case Study Library and Test Data & Validation. Full datasets and reports are available through Emisshield engineering or your distributor.
- Does the technology keep evolving?
- Continuously. Formulations are added and refined as substrates and fuels change.