3.4 Comparison Between the Three Different Classes of Thermochromic Additives

A comparison between the classes of thermochromic additives presented in Sections 3.1 3.3 is given in Table 3.2. The outstanding property of organic thermochromic materials is that switching temperature and colour can be customised. Moreover, the narrow absorption band allows the creation of multiple switching effects by a combined use of several thermochromic additives. With a view to application, these properties are very important. They enable a flexible adjustment of the thermochromic properties for specific application. The advantage of inorganic pigments is their thermostability above 200 C and their light stability which is even suitable for outdoor application. However, most of the inorganic pigments for these applications are toxic.