LCA of Photocatalysts Coating

Abstract

Objective. Titanium dioxide photocatalysts is well known unique material which have the environmental improvement effect of removing air pollutant, NOx, since the discovery of Honda-Fujishima effect. TOTO Ltd. introduces the photocatalysts fixed coating, HYDROTECT, as the environmental technology. The aim of this research is to understand the environmental property of photocatalysts coating, compared with an ordinary coating. We investigated the environmental impact of coating by LCA.

Results and Discussion. Two results were obtained in the LCA evaluation of LIME2 method. At first, air purification is effective for human health hazard decrease in use phase, caused mainly by photocatalystic NOx removal effect with no external energy. Secondly, the long durable coating is effective for the resource use reduction.

Conclusions. Photocatalysts coating have the advantage on further environmental improvement compared with an ordinary coating. The current work showed photocatalysts coating have the distinguished environmental properties and make further environmental benefit for an ordinary coating.