NEWS
Did you know that there are pigments used to prevent corrosion and repel bacteria?
IK4-TEKNIKER has developed multi-functional pigments that do not only fulfil their essential function of providing colour but also combine a number of features such as corrosion resistance, bacteria-repelling capabilities and inhibition of fungal proliferation.
These smart pigments also act as thermal regulators as they have heat storage properties and self-cleaning properties.
The main goal of IK4-TEKNIKER researchers was to develop this range of pigments to obtain paint, plastic or cement with different functionalities.
A combination of material absorption technologies has been used to achieve the above together with Sol-Gel coatings applied to commercial pigments to avoid modifications in the synthesis process.
This is how new materials have been obtained for the automotive and construction sectors without increasing production costs significantly.
Consequently, high-performance multi-functional paints and cements have been obtained allowing for savings in terms of maintenance costs and enhanced energy efficiency.
Miren Blanco, an IK4-TEKNIKER researcher, said that “we have noted that whenever self-cleaning and heat-storing pigments are used on the façade of a building, significant savings are obtained in terms of maintenance and energy consumption which substantially outweigh the price of the product”.
