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Colours
Colour is a sensory impression conveyed by the eyes - a visual manifestation. It is triggered by light rays reaching the retina. Colour stimuli are generated in the eye which the brain then interprets as different colours.
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General information about colour
Light is electromagnetic radiation that travels through space. The wavelength of visible light ranges between 380 nm and 750 nm. The eye perceives every wavelength of visible radiation as a specific spectral colour. The sequence of these colours corresponds to the arrangement of colours in a rainbow. The eye is able to discriminate between short- and long-wave radiation within this visible light. Warm colours belong to the radiation with longer wavelengths, and cold colours to that with shorter wavelengths.
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Colour systems
RAL and NCS are the most widely used colour systems within the construction industry. Armstrong uses RAL 9010 Pure White as its standard colour. All of the colours in the RAL and NCS palettes can naturally be provided.
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Reflectance values
The reflectance value plays an important part in colour perception. The amount of reflected light will depend on the colour and texture of a surface. The brighter the colour, the more light it will reflect. A Pure White surface will reflect practically 100% of the incident light, whereas a black one will absorb most of it. Armstrong standard ceilings finished in RAL 9010 Pure White therefore allow considerable savings in illumination cost to be made. The angle of incident light and the light source (i.e. sunlight or artificial light) will also have a marked effect on colour perception.
Comparative measurement with RAL 9010 pure white ceiling panels
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Degree of gloss
Different surface textures will reflect incident light in different ways, heightening or diminishing the amount of gloss a surface exhibits. Light reflected at an angle of less than 60 degrees is measured in relation to the incident light to give the degree of gloss. Armstrong's RAL 9010 Pure White with a satin-smooth finish has a gloss degree of around 22% when measured in accordance with Gardner and DIN 67530.
Electrostatic powder coating
Over 95% of Armstrong ceiling panels are treated by the process of electrostatic powder coating. Here, the part to be coated is earthed and the powder particles receive a negative charge. An electrical field is created between the application gun and the earthed object. The powder particles follow these field lines and adhere to the object because of their residual charge. The bonded coating is formed in the subsequent stoving process. As the coated object is heated to approx. 200° C for about six minutes the individual colour particles melt, crosslink chemically and then cure. The advantages of powder coating are primarily its environmental friendliness, its cost-effectiveness and the excellent corrosion protection it confers.
In addition to electrostatic powder coating, we also use the process of thermal spay painting.
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Ecology and health
RAL 9010 Pure White, the standard Armstrong powdered pigment, consists of organic binders based on polyester and epoxide resins, small amounts of additives, as well as inorganic and organic colouring pigments. It contains no heavy metals or TGIC. Consequently, it is exempt from any toxological classification or identification requirements. Under thermal load, no combustion products are liberated other than those generated when other organic materials like wood, oil or household waste are burnt.
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Downloads
 Brochure Floated Ceilings
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