Project description
Self-cleaning nanotechnology solutions for buildings
Poor air quality is a threat to human health with nitrogen oxide (NOx) gases being one of the worst offenders. INSPECS is developing a non-toxic surface treatment for concrete buildings based on titania nanoparticles. These photocatalysts accelerate chemical reactions using light to convert NOx and organic compounds like bacteria or fungi into harmless forms. Urban air quality will be improved through the continuous removal of NOx from ambient air. Water and soil quality will benefit from the reduced need for chemical cleaning agents as the treated surface area has a self-cleaning effect, which reduces maintenance.
Objective
The photocatalytic self-cleaning products can be greatly beneficial by reducing the frequency of cleaning operations in exterior surfaces, reducing the maintenance and operational costs, and preserving the ecosystem, by avoiding the use of cleaning products with chemical agents. Still, available self-cleaning coatings are very limited, presenting short lifetimes and poor self-cleaning capacity. Joma developed the next generation of photocatalytic self-cleaning and anti-polluting technologies for the efficient treatment of concrete surfaces in urban areas, addressing not only the need for buildings and infrastructures’ maintenance reduction but also the major societal problem of urban air quality.
Joma will deliver an improved titania-based technology, with a unique and proprietary nanostructure. The technology brings together a superior self-cleaning performance, anti-greening proven efficiency and anti-polluting potential, based on its higher photocatalytic activity, higher specificity for removal of the surrounding NO2, cost-effectiveness, high level of customization, possibility to combine with water protection and significant maintenance need reduction and consequent cost savings. The customized nanoparticle is the key component of Joma’s products representing an outstanding innovation against current stated-of-the-art in self-cleaning technologies.
To bridge the remaining steps towards full scale commercialization of our nanotechnology, Joma has to widely demonstrate its economic and environmental assets over competing solutions and to consolidate our strategic partnering in the concrete manufacturing and maintenance industry value chain. Thus, Joma will leverage from the current SME instrument application as a stepping stone to prepare the company’s business strategy and to propel the commercialization of our technology, which we expect to become a new reference in the construction industry sector.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineering
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestry
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringarchitecture engineeringsustainable architecturesustainable building
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
5131 NYBORG
Norway
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.