Sustainable building design and environmental protection (the purpose of USGBC‘s LEED Certification) have been major topics of conversation throughout the last decade. Having a better and cleaner environment is a concern not only for designers and builders, it is a crucial issue for everyone. Therefore, A revolutionary coating for the ceramics (tiles and facades),which offers three very important ecological and economic advantages:
- it is extremely easy to clean / self-washing effect with long-term guarantee
- it has an antibacterial effect without using chemical products
- it decomposes the exhaust fumes produced by cars and industry: 1,000 m² (10,760 Square Feet) of facade ceramics with TiO clean the air as effectively as 70 medium-sized deciduous trees.
The principle
TiO-coating acts due to the power of light (and there is plenty of it falling on a facade.) Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is baked onto the tile surface at high temperatures (which it makes it the only coating of its kind with a long-term guarantee). Titanium dioxide acts as a catalyst in the reaction between light, oxygen and air humidity. Activated oxygen is produced and the result is a hydrophilic (= “water-friendly“) surface with the following advantageous properties:
- antibacterial: microorganisms such as e.g. fungi, algae, moss or germs are decomposed.
TiO Coating: Permanently burned into panel surface
- extremely easy to clean: instead of being repelled, the water spreads to form a thin film, which washes down the dirt.
- odour-eliminating: unwelcome or harmful odours and atmospheric pollutants are eliminated – both indoors and outdoors.
- sustainable: activated oxygen is released into the atmosphere cleaning the air
The effects are permanently conserved and activated by light again and again (renewable). Titanium dioxide is non-toxic as well as free of irritating substances and can even be added to food.
The unique surface coating guarantees perfectly clean facades – in the long term and without effort. Because sun and rain perform the active cleaning in the case of glazed façade ceramics. In this way, TiO considerably reduces the maintenance costs (by approximately 505)
Self-Cleaning: Removes dirt and grease particles by forming a thin layer of water.
Cleans Air: Activated oxygen neutralizes the pollutants in the air
Antibacterial: Algae and bacteria are decomposed upon contact with the surface
Conclusion
TiO-Coating can be applied on all ceramic products.
It is particularly effective on a terracotta rainscreen cladding application. Direct sunlight ensures a particularly intense photo-catalytic reaction. The cost of the TiO-coating is minimal (comes standard for the glazed colors) and therefore makes it a worthwhile and wise decision.
