"THE PROJECT, ""INSPECS"" is about functionalising surfaces of structures and construction materials to provide self-cleaning, anti-biofilm and anti-pollution effects.
The technology is based on the photocatalytic property of nanosize TiO2 particles, which uses the energy in daylight to break down organic pullutants on or near the surface.
THE BENEFITS of self-cleaning and anti-pollution are many and obvious. Reduced ambient levels of NOx and VOC in urban air have direct health benefits. Self-cleaning surfaces give direct savings reduced maintenance costs, but also indirect benefits for psychological well-being from cleaner environment, reduced water consumption and detergent use, and 'good neighbour' effects on adjacent buildings through no longer being a source of biologic pollution. Reduced biofilm formation and water penetration also reduces wear and extends the lifetime of instrastructure and buildings. This gives economic savings, but also environmental savings as replacing concrete has a huge CO2 net cost.
THE ISSUE adressed in the project is that even if photocatalytic building materials is expected to be a market of strong growth, the current solutions offered are not cost-effective enough to really penetrate the markets. Low-cost products based on generic anatase nanopowder are not effective enough, while designer nano-structures are costly and typically not available in industrial quantities.
THE SOLUTION of Joma International is the combination of a proprietary nanopartcle structure designed for photocatalysis, and a patented process that allows for cost-effective production at industrial scale, using (mostly) standard chemical processing equipment readily available. Joma have also developed end product formulations for protecion of concrete and wooden surfaces that give excellent photocatalytic efficiency while simultaneously reducing water penetration into the surface, giving a double benefit.
THE OBJECTIVE of the project Phase 1 was to show economic feasbility of the business idea, as well as validating product performance field tests with pilot customers. The main objective of Phase 2 is to validate the product in the market thorough large demonstration projects with industry partners (pilot customers). Other key objectives include developing practical solutions for industrial scale application systems in CLT (cross laminate timber) production lines, as well as monitoring long time product performance on a range of substrates including concretes of different compositions and densities and timber from different natural and treated woods."
