Development of eco-friendly architectural coil coatings for clean buildings and pollution-free air

Project Information

CleanCoat

Grant agreement ID: 790303

DOI

10.3030/790303

Project closed

EC signature date 29 November 2017

Start date 1 October 2017

End date 31 March 2018

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

ALCEA-AZIENDA LOMBARDA COLORI E AFFINI SPA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CleanCoat (Development of eco-friendly architectural coil coatings for clean buildings and pollution-free air)

Reporting period: 2017-10-01 to 2018-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The protection of coil structures (50% of exterior surfaces consists of steel and aluminium) against the influences of weather and corrosion is imperative to extend the material life-span and mitigate the high costs for structural repairs and replacements. In addition, to keep the attractive look of the building over the years, the cleaning of these surfaces is mandatory entailing expensive equipment and high workers’ risk due to the high altitudes. The overall cleaning and maintenance costs entail between €7.000 and 50.000 per wash which needs to be performed annually.
Current coating solutions do not cover the need for multifunctional architectural among final users of buildings that: reduce the cleaning and maintenance, enhance the protection of metallic structures and have excellent aesthetic properties, while being globally available.
CleanCoat is a new type of photocatalytic coating for metallic facades consisting of TiO2 nanoparticles embedded in a highly stable polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix which promotes the presence of high concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles at the free surface of the coating. CleanCoat simultaneously protects the metal against corrosion, keeps the surface clean (photocatalysis) and purifies the air by reducing pollutants (NOx and SOx).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We have identified the target performance parameters for CleanCoat according to the product performances and selected the inclusion of additives in the PVDF formulation as the best approach for the CleanCoat preparation. Work plan for the technical optimization and industrialization of our solution has been established while potential risks and their mitigation and contingency activities identified. A deep analysis focusing on the European coil coating market and analysis of the competitive landscape in Europe was performed together with the outline of the exploitation plan for the commercialization, including an FTO analysis and patent strategy. Finally, the financial forecast for the first 5 years of CleanCoat commercialization including the cost analysis of CleanCoat production was set.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Thanks to CleanCoats’ embedded structure and curing process, production time is reduced by 50%, cost by 30% and production capacity doubled. With a 30-years guaranteed durability, end-users will save up to € 100.000 per year on maintenance and cleaning and enjoy a high-quality aesthetic look by the self-cleaning surface, unlimited choice of colours and finishes, and outstanding colour retention and UV stability of the product.

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