Kynar 500®, a renowned fluoropolymer (PVDF) resin technology for factory-applied metal coatings invented by Arkema®, turns 60 this year.
Kynar 500 PVDF resin-based coatings have set the gold standard in metal protection, proving their worth in diverse applications—from architectural panels to roofing and industrial equipment. Why do architects, specifiers, and building owners choose building materials baked with Kynar 500 coatings?
- Exceptional Color Retention: Kynar 500 PVDF-based coatings resist fading caused by UV exposure, ensuring vibrant finishes that stand the test of time.
- Resistance to Harsh Environments: Its advanced chemical resistance shields metals from acid rain, salt spray, and industrial pollutants.
- Durability in All Climates: Whether exposed to intense sunlight, freezing temperatures, or high humidity, Kynar 500 PVDF-based coatings maintain their integrity without cracking, peeling, or degrading.
- Sustainability and Longevity: Kynar 500 PVDF-based coatings contribute to sustainable building practices by reducing the need for frequent recoating or replacements, thereby minimizing environmental impact.
- Energy Efficiency: It supports energy efficiency by containing heat-reflective formulations that reduce heat absorption, ideal for cool roofing and facade applications.
How do Kynar PVDF-based coatings have high durability, heat reflectivity, and fade resistance?
Kynar 500 PVDF resin-based coatings contain incredibly strong carbon-fluorine bonds that prevent film erosion when exposed to the elements, keeping the film thickness consistent, and the coating’s infrared radiation (IR)—reflecting pigments protected—over time. These bonds allow for its protective properties, including solar reflectance, dirt shedding, algae and mold/mildew resistance, color and gloss retention, and chalking and fading resistance to last significantly longer than other high-performance paints on the market. Dirt shedding and algae/mold resistance properties are particularly important as dirty surfaces reduce solar reflectance.
Chosen by architects, builders, and manufacturers worldwide, Kynar 500 PVDF resin-based coatings will continue to be the leading choice in 2025 for protecting and aesthetic enhancement of factory-finished metal. The Kynar 500 legacy of consistent performance for six decades underscores its unmatched reliability and enduring value in safeguarding metal surfaces against the harshest elements.
Are PVDF coatings a high-performance solution for existing, aged structures in the field? Also, what if the structure contains materials other than just metal?
Kynar Aquatec®, an air-dry version and newer generation of Kynar 500
Over 20 years ago, Arkema introduced a water-based PVDF resin, unlike its original. This version, called Kynar Aquatec, does not need to be baked at temperatures above 191 C (375 F), making it ideal for air-dry, field-applied coatings. The premium, weather-resistant coating performs virtually identical to Kynar 500 resin-based coatings and can be easily applied to aged metal and a variety of aged substrates, including plastics, wood, concrete, fiber cement, stucco, EIFS, and other previously painted building materials.
“For decades, architects have trusted the long-term, fade-resistance performance of Kynar 500 PVDF-based finishes, which are baked onto metal surfaces of exterior building products like aluminum doors and window frames in the factory,” explains Ron Partridge, Sr. account manager, Kynar PVDF Coatings, Arkema, Inc. “Kynar Aquatec does not need to be baked, allowing it to provide the same long-term weathering performance in an air-dry, field-applied coating.”
“Heat accelerates the degradation and fading of exterior coatings, especially in hot, humid locations like Florida,” says Simon Reynolds, director of commercial sales, TEX-COTE LLC. “REFLECT-TEC® and COOLWALL® Coatings with Kynar Aquatec are much more durable and undergo significantly less thermal cycling-related expansion and contraction stress than typical acrylic or elastomeric coatings. Their color, adhesion, and other physical properties also are greatly extended, thanks to our use of water-based Kynar Aquatec PVDF resin.”
High-Profile Coastal Restoration Showcases TEX-COTE® Reflect-Tec with Kynar Aquatec PVDF on a Historical Building with Aged Metal Facade
A historic airplane hangar near the sun-soaked coast of Los Angeles has been thoughtfully restored and repurposed into a state-of-the-art office space for a Fortune 100 tech company, with sustainability and design integrity at its core. Specified for this high-profile project, Reflect-Tec with Kynar Aquatec resin coating system by TEX-COTE was instrumental in transforming the exterior of the building’s metal façade, which now boasts a striking, custom finish in the color Black Bean.
The Reflect-Tec system, engineered with Kynar Aquatec PVDF resin, was the ideal choice for the project’s location, a couple of miles from the coastline. Unlike traditional urethane and acrylic coatings prone to fading and degradation under intense UV exposure, Reflect-Tec provides extreme UV resistance, ensuring long-term color retention and protection due to its PVDF resin content and high-performance pigments. This advanced formulation prevents the oxidation that typically leads to chalking and color fading, even in the demanding Southern California climate, where dark colors like Black Bean have historically struggled to maintain their aesthetic.
One of the most remarkable benefits of the Reflect-Tec with Kynar Aquatec PVDF-based coating system is its ability to significantly improve solar reflectivity—even in a deep, dark shade like Black Bean. The coating increased the building’s total solar reflectance (TSR) by an impressive 320 percent, elevating it from 0.05 to 0.21 TSR. This dramatic improvement enhances the building’s energy efficiency, helping to reduce indoor temperatures and lessen the strain on the HVAC system, all while ensuring occupants remain comfortable and the building owner enjoys lower energy costs.
How Cool Walls Save Energy
Cool walls with solar-reflective surfaces can help to maintain lower temperatures on a building’s surface. Lower building façade temperatures translate into reduced solar heat gain (the amount of heat from the sun that enters the building), which helps to maintain cooler indoor temperatures than would occur with less reflective exterior wall coatings. In turn, cooler indoor temperatures help lower the building’s cooling demand and reduce the waste heat released by air conditioning units.
Since cooling systems consume an estimated 15 percent of the electricity used by commercial and institutional buildings, property owners can recognize significant savings by reducing the energy required to run them.
Blending historical preservation with modern innovation, this project exemplifies how cutting-edge coating technologies can elevate architectural design while promoting sustainability. TEX-COTE’s Reflect-Tec with Kynar Aquatec PVDF allowed the design team to honor the building’s storied past while ensuring its resilience and functionality for decades to come.
University of South Florida Beats the Heat on Concrete with COOLWALL® with Kynar Aquatec PVDF
With 246 sunny days, an average UV index of 6.9, and 74 days of 90-plus-degree temperatures yearly, Tampa, Fla., sees its fair share of high cooling costs for commercial and institutional buildings. Finding a way to reduce those costs was the goal of a recent dormitory refresh project at the University of South Florida (USF), where an infrared, heat-reflective, water-based coating system called TEX-COTE COOLWALL with Kynar Aquatec PVDF is helping to reduce building surface temperatures and related cooling costs.
“PhD candidates at USF initially approached us about our COOLWALL technology as part of a research project,” says TEX-COTE’s Reynolds. “That research dovetailed nicely with work being undertaken by the university’s housing group to renovate one of its dormitories and reduce its energy use. COOLWALL was a natural fit.”
“Concrete buildings like the dorm at USF are thermally massive,” Reynolds says. “They soak up energy during the day and hold onto it throughout the night, making it difficult to get any cooling effects of the night air. By reflecting that heat energy and stopping that temperature buildup, you can reduce a building’s contribution to the urban heat island effect.”
Military-Grade “Heat Signature” Technology
TEX-COTE was the first paint and coatings manufacturer to be granted a patent for heat-reflective wall coatings. For its COOLWALL with Kynar Aquatec Coating System, the company turned to the same heat reflective technology the military uses in the STEALTH program to reduce the amount of solar heat absorbed, and number of radar signals detected, on planes and vehicles. The coatings’ highly reflective pigment technology reflects the invisible portion of the light spectrum, thereby helping to reflect heat without changing color.
The coating system has been tested by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It has proven to reduce surface temperatures by as much as 4 C (40 F) and provide cooling cost energy savings of up to 21.9 percent. These benefits have allowed some property owners to apply for energy-savings credits under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program.
At USF, surface temperature readings on the tilt-up concrete dorm coated with COOLWALL were up to 40 degrees cooler than before being coated. Ongoing energy monitoring continues to display a reduction in cooling energy use compared to energy use before the COOLWALL coating.
Dark Colors Can Be Cool
Traditionally, white paint has been used to keep the exterior of a building cool because white reflects much of the sun’s radiation back into the atmosphere. Dark colors, while aesthetically pleasing, have traditionally led to heat buildup.
With COOLWALL and Kynar Aquatec technology, buildings don’t need to be white to achieve solar reflectance benefits. For the USF dormitory, TEX-COTE supplied shades of amber, gold, tan, and red COOLWALL coatings that matched the color scheme used throughout campus.
Durability And Fade Resistance
Most common architectural coating technologies degrade in the harsh Florida sun. They chalk and film erode quickly within a few years and must be repainted every five to seven years. The resistance to film erosion provided by the Kynar Aquatec resin allows the specialty heat-reflective pigment technology to remain in place, doing its job daily to maintain lower surface temperatures. Combining these materials helps reduce the cost of frequent repainting and reduces energy consumption for the long haul.
“Unlike conventional paints that rely on mildewcides, which leach out over time, COOLWALL combines mildewcides with the mildew-resistant properties that are inherent in the Kynar Aquatec PVDF resin and will last the life of the coating,” Reynolds adds.
“Like many architects and project specifiers we talk with, the decision-makers at USF agreed that the cost-benefit analysis of COOLWALL with Kynar Aquatec comes out solidly on the side of COOLWALL for its cooling benefits and increased longevity,” Reynolds concludes. “Even five years post-application, we’re seeing great film integrity, excellent color and gloss retention and no mold or dirt buildup. The dorm looks like it was freshly coated yesterday!”
