TioCem - HeidelbergCement

TioCem ® – High Tech Cement
for the reduction of air pollutants

The most important facts about TioCem ®
■ TioCem is a premium cement, which reduces the level of nitrogen oxides
(NOx) by means of an integrated photocatalyst.
■ The photocatalytic oxidation of NOx into harmless NO 3
- is a contact reaction
activated by light and thus only taking place on the surface.
■ The produced NO 3
- is neither toxic nor hazardous to health. It reacts with the
calcium hydroxide on the concrete surface and washes off with the next rain.
■ The rate of the photocatalytical oxidation depends on the light intensity and
the air flow.
In laboratory tests, 40% NOx was immediately oxidized to NO 3
- .
■ Natural daylight is sufficient for initiating the photocatalytic effect.
■ The photocatalyst is not consumed during the photocatalytic reaction.
■ Safe for use in mass processing and providing longlasting protection.
■ Nano-crystalline TiO 2 is used for TioCem. TiO 2 is used in many articles of daily
life, for example, in cosmetics.
■ It is an ecologically clean and noncritical solution for humans and the environment.
■ TioCem can be processed like any other cement, no special measures are
necessary.
■ TioCem cement fullfils EN 197 part 1. It’s processing and durability properties
are the same as those of standard cement.
Thus, no special technical approval is necessary.

TioCem ® – The new cement for the reduction of
nitrogen oxides
Pollution from exhaust gases is hazardous to people’s health
and is one of the major problems in our cities. Pollutants, especially
nitrogen oxide (NOx), increase the risk of airway infections
and can also impair the function of an airway. The largest
quantity of NOx is emitted from road traffic and thus
in the direct surrounding of the people. Especially in summer,
these nitrogen oxides are the reason for formation of harmful
to health ozone in near-ground layers.
HeidelbergCement has developed a cement, which decomposes
air pollutants by photocatalytic reaction – the name of this
cement is TioCem. TioCem provides the chance to considerably
improve the quality of life in our cities in the near future!
Titanium dioxide – a natural photocatalyst
TioCem is a cement containing titanium dioxide. The difference between the titanium dioxide used here and
normal white pigment is its’ nano-crystalline structure. This nano-crystalline titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst.
Activated by daylight the photocatalytic reaction results in oxidizing reagents converting hazardous NOx
into harmless NO 3
- .
During sunny weather, the air can be cleaned by photocatalysis as it leads to elimination of up to 90% of
nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, benzenes and chlorinated aromatic compounds. Even when the weather is bad,
the sun is not directly shining and the UV radiation is low, up to 70% of the pollutants are still eliminated.
The photocatalytic reaction can be repeated at any time without consuming the photocatalyst.
Reaction process of NOx reduction by TioCem ®
NO x
UV radiation
rain
NO x
active
oxygen
TiO 2
TiO 2
NO – 3 NO –
titanium
3 NO –
titanium
3
dioxide
dioxide
TiO 2
titanium
dioxide
paving stone
nitrate

The most important fields of application of TioCem ®
■ Roofing tiles
■ Paving stones
■ Road surfaces
■ Noise protection elements
■ View protection elements
■ Façade elements
■ Safety barriers
Innovations for a sound environment
With TioCem, a cement which measurably reduces air pollutants, HeidelbergCement makes a considerable
contribution to environmental protection. Because of the nitrogen oxide reducing effect, the use of TioCem
in the near-traffic area especially makes sense.
TioCem can, for example, be used in concrete paving stones or in connection with white topping construction.
White topping is a technique to repair damaged asphalt roads. White topping construction means that
instead of completely replacing the road only the upper asphalt layer is removed and replaced by a thin
concrete layer. The result is a durable, stable and, in combination with TioCem, photocatalytically active
road surface, making it possible to reduce air pollutants.
Example for decomposition of nitrogen oxide by TioCem ®

Proven quality
TX Active ® is a quality label for the photocatalytic activity of building
materials, which is used all over Europe.
Together with the license partner, Italcementi S.p.A., strict standards
have been defined for the cement as well as for the produced final
?products. TX Active ® stands for the durable photocatalytic functionality
of the finished product.
® = TX Active is a registered trademark under license
Trust is good, we rely on control
Innovations only become part of the everyday life and normality if high quality standards are defined for all
steps of the process. In addition to the already high requirements placed upon cement and concrete defined
in numerous standards and guidelines, the TX Active ® trade mark is the guarantee for photocatalytic activity.
The photocatalytic functionality is already controlled during production of TioCem.
In order to make sure that not only the cement but also the finished products meet the high requirements
of TX Active ® , HeidelbergCement also controls the photocatalytic activity of the finished products on site.
TX Active ® – licensed guarantee for optimum results.

HeidelbergCement AG
Berliner Strasse 6
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
www.heidelbergcement.de
www.heidelbergcement.com/tiocem
0108/3T/SD/abc/Rev.1