The Annotico Report
This leaves me speechless. It one of the most
remarkable innovations I have ever heard of.
This revolutionary 'smog-eating' cement functions via a chemical process called
Photocatalysis, which Italcementi
experts compared to photosynthesis in nature. Sunlight triggers a chemical
reaction when titanium dioxide on the surface of the cement comes into contact
with pollutants in the air .
ITALIANS UNLEASH SMOG-EATING CEMENT
Revolutionary product can reduce pollution by over 60%
(ANSA)
Milan, May 16 -2006
An Italian company is releasing a revolutionary 'smog-eating' cement product
capable of reducing urban pollution by over 40% .
After 10 years of research, development and testing, Italcementi
is putting TX Active on the market. It can be applied to road surfaces or
building exteriors .
This cement-based compound has a special chemical composition that enables it
to absorb pollutants produced by cars, factories, household heating and city
life in general .
Italcementi claims the product has massive potential
for major cities struggling with smog, the cause of a range of ailments - some fatal .
Tests on a busy road in the town of
Italcementi said TX Active, whose effectiveness has
been verified by independent bodies like the National Research Council (CNR),
will first go! on sale at a price of one euro a kilo
in
"We feel it is part of a major company's mission to respond to the need to
improve the quality of life of all of us. "We
believe that, with this product, we can provide solutions, at least in part, to
the problems highlighted every day about air quality in our cities." TX
Active is made with a special compound that absorbs harmful pollutants and
transforms them into non-toxic gases, which it then releases
.
Nitrogen dioxide and sodium dioxide, for example, are turned into calcium
nitrate and sodium nitrate - gases which are present in nature and, in small
quantities, are completely harmless. Other car exhaust fumes get transformed
into carbon dioxide .
It functions via a chemical process called photocatalysis,
which Italcementi experts compared to photosynthesis
in nature. Sunlight triggers a chemical reaction when titanium dioxide on the
surface of the cement comes into contact with pollutants in the air .
For this reason, the cement works hardest in summer, when a greater quantity of
bright sunlight amplifies its smog-eating qualities .
The cement works fast. Nitrogen dioxide clouds left by cars travelling
along the Segrate street
vanished, on average, five seconds after the vehicle passed by. On roads
without the surface the main concentration of the gas takes about 30 seconds to
break down, while much of the nitrogen dioxide hangs in the air for several minutes .
As well as its ecological properties, the cement has one other major advantage
- its colour doesn't fade .
Because the substance contains chemicals that interact with ultraviolet light,
its colour is refreshed whenever the sun comes out .
It has already been used on a number of buildings, including Air
http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/
english/news/2006-05-16_1161495.html
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