Smog-Eating Buildings?

摘要

For decades, scientists have recognized that, when exposed to sunlight, titanium dioxide acts as a catalyst to break down organic matter, while also creating a super hydrophilic (water-loving) surface. Now, Alcoa Architectural Products has developed a proprietary process that leverages HYDROTECT~™ technology from TOTO® to apply a titanium dioxide coating, called EcoClean, to the pre-painted aluminum surface of Reynobond. The result is the world's first coil-coated aluminum architectural panel that helps clean itself and the air around it. From bird residue to diesel fumes, architectural building panels are constantly exposed to organic material that makes surfaces dirty. Yet there's another kind of organic material constantly bombarding buildings: NOx (nitrogen oxides). As the primary component of smog, it threatens the quality of the air we breathe.