Highly transparent thin films of TiO2-ZrO2-SiO2 composites on glass were prepared by sol-gel process, wherein different amounts of zirconia precursor were mixed with titania precursor solution (0–20 mol% Zr with regard to Ti). For better adhesion of the films on glass supports, a silica binder was added to the mixture of alkoxides (27 mol% Si vs. Ti). The prepared samples were characterized by various techniques to obtain information on their structural, optical and surface properties. The presence of anatase titania polymorph as the only crystalline phase was detected. Unexpectedly, the higher loading of Zr promoted the growth of anatase particles with progressive spherical shape and concomitant decrease of specific surface area, which adversely influenced the photocatalytic activity. Decrease of the photodegradation activity with increasing amount of Zr was evidenced by contact angle measurements of a fatty deposit, spectrofluorometrically using terephthalic acid probe and by EPR spectroscopy monitoring indirectly the non-persistent radicals generation. On the other hand, the higher content of Zr improved the mechanical stability of resulting thin films. An optimal Zr content around 10 mol% appears to be a good compromise between photocatalytic activity and mechanical robustness of the films.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4714491
Low-temperature synthesis procedure enables thin film deposition also on flexible polymer substrates. - Films containing 10 mol.% of Zr showed the best compromise regarding photocatalytic activity and mechanical stability - The beneficial role of SiO2 binder was not only guaranteeing excellent mechanical stability, but also prevented the polymer from deterioration
COBISS.SI-ID: 5251067
This will be joint publication of all project partners and is a result of successful cooperation among us. Results of transmittance, color coordinates and haze during two-years exposure of windows (size 30 cm x 30 cm) at three locations in Slovenia are presented. The anti-fogging effect of the coatings developed in the frame of this project is also demonstrated, in the laboratory as well as in real environment.
In recent decades, high level of urbanization, air pollution and climate change have caused a frequent occurrence ofurban heat islands, resulting in thermal discomfort and increased energy use of buildings. As a response, a lot of attention has been paid to building envelope characteristics, with an increasing number of studies investigating building envelope solar properties as one of the important factors a?ecting thermal performance. However, di?erent climatecharacteristics are the reason why solar properties may have di?erent e?ciency at various locations, also because in cold or temperate climates building envelope has to be more thermally insulated, namely having lower thermal transmittance. Therefore, within this study, building energy use and indoor thermal conditions were analysed for ano?ce cell using di?erent types of solar absorptivity (e.g. white, dark grey, collector or cool coating) and thermaltransmittance, on either external wall or roof. The analysis was conducted for hot-arid and temperate climate locations. The results showed that solar absorptivity can have a signi?cant e?ect on total energy use, especially in cases with higher envelope thermal transmittance. It also showed that the application of cool coatings is more reasonable if the external building envelope is not intensively thermally insulated (e.g. in hot-arid climate). In general, the optimal totalenergy use in both analysed climates was always achieved by implementing cool coatings. Furthermore, the resultsshowed that white and cool coatings have comparable external (20–30 K above Tair in summer) and internal surface temperature responses, while dark grey coatings cause the surface to heat up signi?cantly (external surface 60 Kabove Tair in summer).
COBISS.SI-ID: 8531553
Off-site construction can represent a potential solution for worldwide mass housing demand and has gained a lot of attention during the refugee crisis in Europe. In particular, modular construction is one of the most cost-effective off-site methods for various types of buildings. Its characteristics are cost -effectiveness, quality control and quick on-site assembly. The design challenge is to join the stated advantages with operational sustainability, which is susceptible to climate-determined and energy efficient design. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to systematically evaluate energy and visual (daylight) efficiency of singular prefabricated modular unit. In order to emphasise the relevance of local climate, modular unit model was analysed at five different locations, monitoring cooling, heating and lighting energy use. Results showed similarities and differences between the analysed locations and implemented design measures. The conducted analysis included variation of orientation, window to wall ratio, window distribution, envelope thermal transmittance and glazing characteristics. Surprisingly, the results indicate substantial impact of artificial lighting on the total energy use. Therefore, emphasising a direct connection to the Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) values of the modular units. With sDA values below 50%, lighting can represent up to half of the total energy use.
COBISS.SI-ID: 8491361