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January 02, 2005
Self-cleaning glass
New kind of glass that promises to keep windows free from dirt...
"The key to Activ glass is an ultra-thin coating only 40 nm thick," Philip Webb a spokesperson for Pilkington told Optics.org. "It is applied to the glass surface during the manufacturing process."The coating, which is based on titanium dioxide, works by combining the two beneficial effects. First, the ultraviolet wavelengths in sunlight react with a photocatalyst to break down organic debris on the glass.
"The second feature is that the coating is hydrophilic," says Webb. "This means that when rain hits the glass, it doesn't form droplets. Rain water flows down the glass in a sheet and washes the dirt away." Alternatively, a hose can be used to clean the glass when there is little or no rainfall.
The clever invention comes at a premium price though. Activ is set to cost consumers up to 20% more than conventional glazing. "The coating lasts for the lifetime of the window," says Webb. "Consumers would recoup the excess cost over that time."
Posted by Ryan at January 2, 2005 02:22 PM