Laboratory Investigation of the Effect of Mixed Nitrogen Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide Gases on Titanium Dioxide Photocatalytic Efficiency in Concrete Pavements
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 7
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides () emitted from vehicle exhausts are associated with adverse health effects on the public. Self-cleaning, air-purifying concrete pavement is a rapidly emerging technology that can be constructed by using a photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide (). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental effectiveness of coating in photodegrading mixed and NO gases from the atmosphere. Results of the experimental program determined that increasing the flow rate and ratio negatively affect the effectiveness of the photocatalytic process. However, within the evaluated range, the titanium content and aggregate gradation had little effect on removal efficiency. The highest photodegradation rate was observed at 25% relative humidity, which balances the availability of hydroxyl radicals at the surface with contact with the photocatalytic surface.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Cristal Millennium for providing this research with PC 105 ultrafine titanium dioxide used for testing and the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) for granting access to their laboratory. The authors would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 7 • July 2011
Pages: 1087 - 1093
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 16, 2010
Accepted: Dec 14, 2010
Published online: Dec 16, 2010
Published in print: Jul 1, 2011
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