Experts from the Inorganic Chemistry Research Group of the University of Córdoba are developing new building materials for restoration of historic buildings, such as products for facades with a 'self-cleaning' ability. To prepare these materials, experts have used components obtained from industrial waste recycling, recuperating their value and preventing storage in landfills and associated environmental impact.
In the study 'Use of Industrial Waste for the Manufacturing of Sustainable Building Materials', published in the acientific journal ChemSusChem, experts have developed materials capable of keeping restored facades clean thanks to a new chemical formulation which includes additives that, when put contact with sunlight and moisture, are capable of degrading organic matter. 'In this way, products that adhere to walls, such as organic waste from traffic emissions and fungi and bacteria, are broken down and eliminated with water dew or rain leaving facades clean', explains Professor Luis Sánchez from the University of Cordoba to Fundación Descubre.
So far, researchers have already demonstrated the effectiveness of these products on a laboratory scale with the collaboration of the PUMA Group, a firm dedicated to the construction industry. 'The results have been very satisfactory on a basic level and next step will be to apply them in heritage facades of the city of Cordoba', says Sanchez. He adds: 'We have also shown that adequate treatment of industrial waste results in development of a sustainable building material, thereby preventing subsequent disposal in landfills. It also saves on the use of certain raw materials such as calcium carbonate, present in nature'.
A healthy product
In fact, this research not only focuses on the rehabilitation of external facades of landmark buildings but also in the preparation of different materials that could provide new benefits to health and the environment. 'This materials are of great interest since they eliminate from atmosphere harmful gases emitted by industry and vehicles', he adds.
These results are part of ‘Excellence Project Development with high added value mortars for use in the restoration and maintenance of heritage buildings’ funded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment of the Andalusian Government.
In the study 'Use of Industrial Waste for the Manufacturing of Sustainable Building Materials', published in the acientific journal ChemSusChem, experts have developed materials capable of keeping restored facades clean thanks to a new chemical formulation which includes additives that, when put in contact with sunlight and moisture, are capable of degrading organic matter. 'In this way, products that adhere to walls, such as organic waste from traffic emissions or fungi and bacteria, are broken down and eliminated with water dew or rain, leaving facades clean', explains Professor Luis Sánchez from the University of Cordoba to Fundación Descubre.So far, researchers have already demonstrated the effectiveness of these products on a laboratory scale with the collaboration of the PUMA Group, a firm dedicated to building industry. 'The results have been very satisfactory on a basic level and next step will be to apply them in heritage facades of the city of Cordoba', says Sanchez. He adds: 'We have also shown that adequate treatment of industrial waste results in development of sustainable building materials, thereby preventing subsequent disposal in landfills. It also avoids use of certain raw materials such as calcium carbonate, present in nature'.
A healthy product
In fact, this research not only focuses on rehabilitation of external facades of landmark buildings but also on preparation of different materials that could provide new benefits to health and the environment. 'This materials are of great interest since they are able to eliminate from the atmosphere harmful gases emitted by industry and vehicles', he adds.
These results are part of Excellence Project 'Development of high added value mortars for use in the restoration and maintenance of heritage buildings’ funded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment of the Andalusian Government.