The evolution of the fight against air pollution

We live in a society where speed and convenience are everything. It seems like there is an “app” for almost anything, available instantly, at our fingertips. Air depollution applications aren’t an exception, with photocatalysts filling the role of the “app”.  Readily available, photocatalysts start depolluting the air of NOx and other harmful pollutants upon application, while keeping your surfaces cleaner for longer [link to products].

Magic? No, simply decades of hard work…

Here at Cristal we have perfected photocatalytic technology for over two decades. Harnessing the power of sunlight and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), we came up with a set of CristalACTiV™ solutions that have been depolluting our air ‘at the source’ as part of catalytic converters used in cars and power plants. The newer generation of CristalACTiV™ products tackles the pollutants that have escaped into the atmosphere, through an innovative range of CristalACTiV™-infused building materials, paints and cleaning products.

Could you be more concrete?

The early forays of photocatalytic TiO₂ technology began with concrete-based applications in which TiO₂ was incorporated into the concrete with the other ingredients. The advantage of incorporating CristalACTiV™ into concrete is that the high porosity and large surface areas in concrete building materials lend themselves to creating depolluting building materials that also maintain self-cleaning capabilities. In this way, CristalACTiV™ powder and concrete are complementary. The challenge is that in order for the concrete to have enough photoactivity to render material depolluting and self-cleaning, it typically requires a high percentage of TiO₂to be at the surface.

Does your building have an extra coat?

The next natural evolution was to evaluate the ability to incorporate CristalACTiV™ in exterior coating formulations. Coatings applications allow the existing treatment of facades and buildings. This meant that instead of incorporating TiO₂ throughout the material, it would be dispersed in a coating and used in a thin coating on the surface. Coatings like concrete are used to cover exterior broad surface areas – a requirement necessary to be impactful on environmental pollutants. Utilizing CristalACTiV™ in coatings systems has proven no small task as the photoactivity of TiO₂ can potentially destroy traditional resin paint systems if not formulated properly. Fear not – multiple high quality functional coatings manufactured with CristalACTiV™ are available today and new ones continue to be developed.

Clear benefits are surfacing

The future for CristalACTiV™ photocatalytic technology is to focus on applying the product where the material can offer the most benefit – directly onto the surface. Recent developments with CristalACTiV™ have focused on a line of sol products (a stable suspension of small particles in liquid). Sol applications offer high activity, ease of application and durability, that when applied, ensure that the photocatalytic TiO₂ is deposited onto materials where the product can have the highest impact on environmental pollutants and organic particles like dirt and mold. Sols deliver depolluting surfaces that also stay cleaner for longer, acquiring self-cleaning properties and saving you surface-cleaning time and resource.

Whether it is in concrete, coatings or as a direct application, Cristal has the knowledge and CristalACTiV™ product portfolio can deliver functionality within your systems. For more information, visit us at www.cristalACTiV.com or reach us at photocatalysis@tronox.com.