(via Catalytic Clothing)
In humanity’s quest for sustainability and ecological preservation, people of all industries are trying to make their products environmentally friendly. At Catalytic Clothing, they do not only want to conserve the current environment but they also want to improve the condition of the air and change today's “throw-away” culture.
It all started when one of two sisters, Kate Storey, found a flyer of a trust initiative intended to bring scientist and artist together. Her sister, Helen Storey, had worked for a long time as a fashion designer, dreaming up extravagant pieces of clothing for many clients including Madonna. With the scientific influence from Kate caused Helen to become more interested in science herself. After some informative reading and some intriguing fashion design depicting biological structures like embryos and lungs, Helen decided to contact Tony Ryan, a chemist at the University of Sheffield in the UK specializing in polymer technology. Ryan was taken by the concept.
Now several years later, Catalytic Clothing claims to have made clothing that has been treated with titanium dioxide (TiO2), a photocatalyst. TiO2 is capable of reacting with Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and other volatile organics to purify the air. A similar method is already used in paints and cements.
The electrons in TiO2 are rearranged when activated by light. This rearrangement more effectively interacts with water molecules in the air that, in turn, are transformed into two radicals (highly reactive molecules). It is these radicals that oxidize harmful pollutants like NOx in to soluble nitrates and convert harmful organics into soaps and fatty acids. As long as there is airflow across the material or movement of the garment, they estimate one square meter of coated fabric will react with 0.5 grams of NOx daily. This translates to a kilogram of clothing cleaning 20 grams of NOx out of the atmosphere. A pair of jeans at about 0.5 kilograms would then take out 10 grams of NOx. Since TiO2 is a catalyst, it is not used up during the reactions.
Initially, the TiO2 solution was sprayed onto the fabric but is now added in a normal laundry procedure as an additive with regular laundry product like fabric conditioner. Currently they are working with cotton fabrics but hope that eventually this technology will apply to any fabric. Further testing is needed to see if these photocatalysts adhere and are effective with other materials.
Right now the clothing is not available to the public but it is noted on the Catalytic Clothing website that they would like to have these garments in the market in 2012.
See more stories like this in the Alternative Energy group.
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