A 75% reduction in the amount of carbon monoxide present in an environment would be possible thanks to a new coating developed by the Public University of Navarra, which on contact with the sun undergoes a chemical reaction that removes pollutants from the air.
With this system it would also be possible to achieve a reduction of 90% in nitrogen oxides and 80% in the percentage of hydrocarbons.
The discovery is part of a project called Ecofotomat, in which the L'Urederra Technology Center, the construction company Obras y Servicios Tex S.L. and the aforementioned university participate.
According to Javier Goicoechea, researcher of the project, the coating, designed to be applied in concrete, can perform this process thanks to the nanoparticles present in the product that achieve the photocatalytic effect necessary to drive the chemical reaction that undoes dirt.
"There are ceramics that carry this type of coatings, but here we are working with concrete and liquid solutions, because it is interesting that the final coating is the closest thing to a paint. That it is applicable on site, with a cost not too high and durable enough to be exposed to the elements, "he said in front of the scope of the initiative.
Although the coating is still in the research phase, the objective is to achieve its application in real scenarios and continue working on the development of new materials.
