G20 china_web

ADVOCACY
AKZO NOBEL
AkzoNobel Research
Development
& Innovation,
Director,
Global Exterior
Wall Paint Expertise
& Research Group
AkzoNobel Research
Development &
Innovation,
Director, South East,
South Asia and Middle
East
Pamela Phua
Tel : +65 9027 9663
E-mail : pamela.phua@
akzonobel.com
For media enquiries,
please contact:
AkzoNobel
Communications
South East, South
Asia, Middle East,
Australasia & Africa
Angela Tan
Tel: +65 9879 3166
E-mail: angela.tan@
akzonobel.com
some of it is reflected and some is absorbed in
the form of heat. This causes the exterior wall of
the building to increase in temperature, and this
heat is subsequently transmitted to the interior
of the building. Thanks to innovative technology
and smart formulation modelling software, our
researchers have developed strategies to increase
the solar reflectivity of our coatings. We’ve carefully
managed the pigments we use in our paints to
create striking colours while at the same time
significantly increasing the amount of infrared
radiation which is reflected by building façades.
The result is a difference of up to five degrees celsius
between a façade coated with a normal exterior
paint and one coated with our Dulux Weathershield
Keep Cool products. Computer simulation modelling
has also demonstrated energy cost savings of up to
10 to 15 per cent, depending on the type of building.
And this is achieved simply as a result of less energy
being required to cool the inside of the building.
This type of cooling effect is available in a variety
of decorative and performance coatings within the
AkzoNobel portfolio.
Clean air
Air pollution is another challenging urbanisation
issue, especially in growing cities in emerging
markets. Harmful air pollutants such as
nitrogen oxides (NOx) are recognised health
and environmental issues being faced by urban
communities. NOx (NO, NO2) are predominantly
generated by the combustion of nitrogen in vehicle
engines. NOx pollution is flagged as a contributory
factor in respiratory diseases and can react
with many other chemicals to create further,
harmful pollutants.
Photoactive Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) is a wellestablished
technology for depollution and selfcleaning.
When UV radiation strikes a photoactive
TiO2 molecule, highly reactive free radicals are
formed. These radicals react with organic materials
and can decompose air pollutants into less harmful
materials. This reactivity can also decompose
other unwanted material, such as dirt, helping to
maintain cleaner façades for longer. Incorporating
photoactive TiO2 into coatings is not an easy task,
because its reactivity is so high that it can even