…at least if people pay to have it treated.

While attending a professional development seminar at work, the presenter briefly mentioned something that caught my attention…self-cleaning cement. Now, when I first heard of this, I thought it was some sort of weird fantasy material that when the concrete became dirty with paint or dirt, it would clean itself, similar to how the technology worked in the movie Demolition Man. Well, after looking it up a bit, I found that I was completely wrong.

To quote from Concrete Monthly,

A new type of concrete can clear the air by dissolving pollutants. Using light and air, photocatalytic concrete breaks down organic and inorganic substances responsible for air pollution. The technology is already in use for self-cleaning windows and ceramic tile. The cement is treated with titanium dioxide, which reacts with ultraviolet light to decompose pollutants such as smog-forming nitrogen oxides.

Italian cement-maker Italcementi Group, parent of PCA member ESSROC, is marketing photocatalytic cement under its TX Millennium brand. In addition to pollution abatement, photocatalytic white cement keeps architectural concrete clean and white.

So, the last part proves I wasn’t completely wrong, the coating on the outside does help it to stay clean and white, but the most amazing thing is that it can remove particles that cause smog. What would a city wide application of this do to Los Angeles?

Another article I read on Smart Economy, had some more information to impart.

In a 2003 field test in 2003, 75,000 square feet of road surface on the outskirts of Milan, Italy, were covered with this smart cement. Researchers found nitrogen oxide levels were reduced by up to 60 percent, depending on weather conditions. The European Union last year earmarked $2.27 billion for a project to develop “smart” construction materials that would break down nitrogen oxides and other toxic substances, such as benzene.

The picture above shows the Misericordia Church in Rome that was treated with the self-cleaning cement. I would agree that is a nice beautiful white color, but as far as the mainstream goes, I would say it is definitely “green”.

Product info -Italcementi Group-

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