Photocatalytic concrete for clean air in underground tunnels
The air quality in underground road tunnels tends to be worse than in other road environments due to the poor air circulation. To address this issue, researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology ...
The most effective way to improve internal air quality in road infrastructure is to pre-emptively remove fine particulate matter precursors generated by automobile exhaust gases. Therefore, the application of construction materials that make use of photocatalysts with the capability to remove harmful substances has recently been in the spotlight as a solution to fine particulate matter pollution.
A photocatalyst is a semiconducting material that can break down pollutants through a photocatalytic reaction when exposed to light. Photocatalysts react with light to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) with strong oxidizing power, which converts the precursors of fine particulate matter (nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, etc.) into harmless substances through a photocatalytic reaction, leading to suppression of fine particulate matter generation.
KICT's Green Construction by Photocatalyst Research Group (GCP Research Group) has developed a photocatalytic concrete that can reduce fine particulate matter generation through the strong oxidizing power of ROS generated when the photocatalyst reacts with light.
An artificial light source has been installed, allowing the photocatalytic function to work even underground where natural light does not reach. Credit: Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology
The NOx concentration level decreased by approximately 18% 24 hours after the application of the photocatalytic concrete. This data represents the average value of the entire measurement period (2022.12.14. ~ 2023.01.12., 4 weeks). Credit: Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology
Mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of air pollutants on the surface of photocatalytic concrete. Credit: Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology