I would'nt either. The bare metal has to dissapate the heat and paint would prevent or at least make it less efficient.

 

so a question ...why do they paint radiators ???

some interesting info...

Crucial has a real thermal dispersant coating

and this from a SUBE forum
<<<I represent Zoofactory Coating Systems out of Kalamazoo, MI. We are a thermal management company specializing in ceramic coatings. If your looking for the real deal in thermal dispersant we can coat your parts for you. We offer a three year warranty on the coating and I can assure you it is much more effective than black BBQ paint.

Feel free to give me a call with questions.
Trent 269.998.3364>>>

& this from NASA ...
Thermal Conductivity Change Kinetics of Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings Determined by the Steady-State Laser Heat Flux Technique

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings (TBC’s) are being developed for advanced gas turbine engine components to improve engine efficiency and reliability. However, the durability of the coating systems remains a crucial issue under the increased operating temperatures and extended hot exposure times that will be encountered in next-generation engines. The temperature-dependent change kinetics of the coating thermal conductivity are among the most important parameters required for coating design and life prediction. Increase in thermal conductivity due to ceramic sintering can reduce thermal coating insulation and increase bond coat/substrate oxidation. Therefore, the determination of the thermal conductivity change kinetics of thermal barrier coatings at high temperatures is of great importance.
Laser high heat flux rig for determining the thermal conductivity change kinetics of thermal barrier coatings. During the test, the ceramic surface and the metal backside temperatures are measured by infrared pyrometers. The metal substrate midpoint temperature can be obtained by an embedded miniature type-K thermocouple. The interfacial temperatures and the actual heat flux passing through the thermal barrier coating system are, therefore, determined under the steady-state laser heating conditions by one-dimensional heat transfer models (ref. 1).
A steady-state laser heat flux technique has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field to obtain critical thermal conductivity data of ceramic thermal barrier coatings under the temperature and thermal gradients that are realistically expected to be encountered in advanced engine systems (ref. 1). The preceding schematic diagram shows the laser thermal conductivity rig used in this technique. This test rig consists of a 3.0-kW CO2 continuous-wave laser (wavelength, 10.6 [FONT=Symbol]m[/FONT]m), a motor-driven rotating test station, and temperature measurement instruments such as a thermography system and infrared pyrometers. The laser surface heating and the backside air cooling determine appropriate steady-state temperature gradients across the coating systems. An integrating ZnSe lens combined with the specimen rotation can ensure a uniform laser power distribution for the specimen heating. Overall thermal conductivity changes can, thus, be continuously monitored in real time by measuring the temperature difference across the ceramic coating.
Overall thermal conductivity change kinetics of the ZrO2-Y2O3 thermal barrier coating determined by real-time laser heat flux testing.
In this study, thermal conductivity change kinetics of a plasma-sprayed, 254-[FONT=Symbol]m[/FONT]m-thick ZrO2-8 wt %Y2O3 ceramic coating were obtained at high temperatures. During the testing, the temperature gradients across the coating system were carefully measured by the surface and back pyrometers and an embedded miniature thermocouple in the substrate. The actual heat flux passing through the coating system was determined from the metal substrate temperature drop (measured by the embedded miniature thermocouple and the back pyrometer) combined with one-dimensional heat transfer models. The radiation heat loss and laser absorption corrections of the ceramic coating were considered in the calculations by incorporating the coating’s measured total emissivity and reflectivity.From the test results shown in the preceding graph, a significant thermal conductivity increase was observed during the laser steady-state high heat flux testing. For the ZrO2-8 wt %Y2O3 coating, the overall thermal conductivity increased from an initial value of 1.0 W/m-K to 1.15, 1.19, and 1.5 W/m-K after 30 hr of testing at surface temperatures of 990, 1100, and 1320 °C, respectively. The effects of heating time and temperature on the overall ceramic thermal conductivity are approximately described by the ln(k) versus Larson-Miller relationship as shown in the following graph. The average slope of the Larson-Miller plot for the ZrO2-Y2O3 coating was about 2.93×10–5 for the thermal barrier coating system. The increase in thermal conductivity in the thermal barrier coating systems was attributed to sintering-induced microporosity gradients under the laser-imposed high thermal gradient conditions (refs. 1 and 2). The test technique provides a viable way to obtain coating data for use in the design, development, stress modeling, and life prediction of various thermal barrier coating applications.
Ceramic thermal conductivity ln(k) as a function of Larson-Miller (L–M) parameter (L–M = Tave[ln(t) + C], where t is the heating time in seconds, Tave is the average temperature in the ceramic coating in kelvin, and C is a fitting constant that equals 10 in this study). The effects of heating time and temperature on the overall ceramic thermal conductivity are approximately described by the conductivity to Larson-Miller relationship.

 

ok long story short ...
the correct coating can IMPROVE heat disipation !

 

seems reasonable to me... I'm no expert, but I do believe spray paint on a radiator isn't good... ceramic coatings, on the other hand.... that's cool stuff... it works. is it worth the extra expense just to have a colored intercooler?

I've wanted to paint my house with ceramic house paint for years... really supposed to be a good insulator.... keeps radiant heat (from direct sunlight) out in the summer.

if the capacity of the radiator or intercooler (both are "heat exchangers") is designed big enough you won't lose enough by painting to hurt anything... that's the question... how much over-capacity, if any, was designed into the MINI intercooler?

 

Getting it anodized wouldn't hurt thermal transfer as much as paint though, right?

 

COR BLMY Have you not figured it out by now that according to some here NASA got it wrong. The bottom of the shuttle does not need to be black and the top white.





Anodizing the I/C would be cool but when I tried it there were differences in the type of aluminum. So the tanks were a different shade of red then the core. Basically looked really bad.

 

That's something I don't know anything about.

 

isnt anodizing actually a "chrome" like process ?
that would ad a layer of metal ...?

 

Anodizing, or anodising, is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts. Anodizing increases corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and provides better adhesion for paint primers and glues than bare metal. Anodic films can also be used for a number of cosmetic effects, either with thick porous coatings that can absorb dyes or with thin transparent coatings that add interference effects to reflected light. Anodizing is also used to prevent galling of threaded components and to make dielectric films for electrolytic capacitors. Anodic films are most commonly applied to protect aluminium alloys, although processes also exist for titanium, zinc, magnesium, and niobium. This process is not a useful treatment for iron or carbon steelexfoliate when oxidized; i.e. the iron oxide (also known as rust) flakes off, constantly exposing the underlying metal to corrosion. "Stay-Brite" is sometimes used as market name for products made from anodised aluminium such as brass replica. because these metals
Anodization changes the microscopic texture of the surface and can change the crystal structure of the metal near the surface. Coatings are often porous, even when thick, so a sealing process is often needed to achieve corrosion resistance. The process is called "anodizing" because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electrical circuit. Anodized aluminium surfaces, for example, are harder than aluminium but have low to moderate wear resistance that can be improved with increasing thickness or by applying suitable sealing substances. Anodic films are generally much stronger and more adherent than most types of paint and metal plating, making them less likely to crack and peel.
- Cited from Wikipedia


Apparently anodizing metals is one of the most environmentaly friendly processes known for adding a non corrosive finish to metal.

 

This doesn't say anything about whether it increases/deacreases or has no effect on the heat-transfer process.

It's a little over my head, but it sort of sounds like it might decrease the heat-transfer properties of the metal.

 

Ya but what I did not read is the preping/cleaning process will remove material if it is aluminum.
COR BLMY The place you can go to in your area is PK Selective over by the airport. i have used them for years. They are one of the biggest in the industry for ano and other plating. Look them up on the net.

 

If it does either the effect would most likely be minimal anyway. I do not think that unless you had a race MINI it would be worth talking about. Besides a little custom work is always nice.

Below is a picture of my rear assembly with anodized rotor hats and a special treated rotor. My thought is powder coat, anodize,polish and replace every bolt with stainless steel.

 

A thermal dispersant coating is better suited for this application.

 

I think is not a good idea paint the IC. no matter what kind of paint you use, it always will make the temp go up.

the anodized will be the only way to put some colour on the IC. the reason is because the anodized is so much thinner than any paint you can use at home. I think the chrome is another procces an yes it adds a layer of metal. the anodizes is used in home-aluminium windows and it does not add any layer like the chrome does.

 

In fact the anodization process is a chemical reaction that reduces the thickness of the metal on a scale that the human eye cannot notice.

If we are getting this nerdy about it, why not add a fan to force air through the intercooler, like a giant heat sink.

 

Someone should hook up CPU fans to cool the I/C while you are stopped.

 

It's been done. I've seen it but didn't take pictures.
see
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=49288

Seems to work OK but you don't want to block airflow over the IC when the car is going and there is limited space for the fans and mounting brackets over the IC.

Heat goes way up to 130 degrees when the car is idling or if sitting in traffic going nowhere or if driven then parked. Best efficiency is steady driving, brings intake air temps back to about 10 degrees warmer than ambient.

 

Wow that is beautiful

 

Thanks. The problem is I built the MINI in the living room.......now I am not sure how to get it outside. LOL

 

oh that sucks haha

 

my heat coated intercooler.

 

Black ceramic coating would be dope


and should run cooler in theory


why dont you glue some black mdf to that shyt though?
thatd be florida spl ftw

 

I wouldn't paint it.. #1, it looks ghetto. #2, why? #3 paint will chip and look like garbage eventually. BMW has some of the best engineers in the world. Wouldn't you think that they would heat coat these intercoolers during production if they were truly as effective as some of your would suggest?

 

i don't think they'd paint it just because of the extra time and money for something that all people mite not like, some, not all front mount intercoolers are black or dark gray. some people mite like the classic metal but others like to be different and stand out, hence "murdering" your intercooler

but i kinda agree, kinda pointless haha

 

The right coating would increase the efficiancy of the IC, BUT you need to make sure you don't plug up any of the spaces between the fins. Hard to do without the right stuff.