Effect of TiO2 and ZnO powder mixtures on mechanical and photocatalytic performance of high performance concrete

Abstract

The development of new modified cement-based materials is increasingly becoming a necessity for improving the durability and surface performance of building materials. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalyst has been widely used in building materials science due to its ability to break down pollutants. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is often considered a substituent for TiO₂ because of its photocatalytic and photoluminescent properties. A new inorganic nanocomposite photocatalyst, based on titanium and zinc oxides, is introduced in this work in order to study its compatibility with High Performance Concrete (HPC). This research aims to study the mechanical and photocatalytic behavior of mixtures based on nanoparticles in HPC. The study of the efficiency in the nitrogen oxides (NO_x) degradation of modified HPC in TiO₂ and ZnO with different percentages is studied. The studies have shown that the introduction of titanium dioxide in HPC presents a significant efficiency for the NO_x degradation and a positive effect on the mechanical properties than zinc oxide, and thus represents potential contribution to sustainability of concrete structures.