Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. XII
Written by Elvira GREBENIȘAN, Andreea HEGYI, Adrian-Victor LĂZĂRESCU
The development of biofilms of micro-organisms on the surface of buildings, in addition to the negative impact and risk to the health of the population, leads to their degradation and the need for continuous sanitation operations. Inducing superhydrophilicity and self-cleaning performance of cement surfaces by adding TiO2 nanoparticles to the composite matrix, as a result of photoactivation reactio. This method, can become an effective for the production of new materials in order to increase the durability of buildings and to increase the degree of hygiene, due to the ability of these new materials to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Experimental results have shown that in case of contamination with two types of moulds (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum) and four types of bacteria (Escherichia Coli, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Staphylococus Aureus, Streptococus Pyogenes) respectively, the development of harmful biofilm is inhibited. This performance was monitored using the dimensional development of the specific inhibition halo as a quantifiable indicator. It can be said that it is influenced by the type of contaminant and the nanoparticle content of the cementitious composite matrix, but is manifested in all cementitious composites containing TiO2 nanoparticles photoactivated under laboratory conditions.
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