Air purifying pavement: development of photocatalytic concrete blocks

摘要

Nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases from automobiles have been causing so serious air pollution in urban areas that the products with a NO_x removal capability have been required. The pavement blocks laid on the road have locational advantages as an air purifying material. We have developed an interlocking paving block with an oxidative NO_x removal capability by means of a photocatalytic reaction of titanium dioxide, and confirmed the performances under an UVC intensity of the outdoor level. The photocatalytic concrete blocks worked in the humidity and NO_x concretration ranges of the roadside environment. The NO_x removing blocks are now subjected to the outdoor exposure test to check the long term performance.