TX Active, a new pollution-eating cement for Europe

Dwellers of modern cities often have to deal with the problems of industrial pollution, which leads to a host of problems ranging from thick and ugly smog to health issues like asthma. But a team of Italian inventors may have a new solution to this problem that urbanites have had to deal with since the 19th century -- use pollution-eating cement. Buildings and streets across Western Europe are just starting to use TX Active, which has been in development for a decade. According to an article in BusinessWeek, the town of Segrete in northern Italy has repaved a street that sustains 1,000 cars per hour with TX Active. A spokesman for the company, Italcementi, said that it had measured a 60 percent reduction in nitric oxide on that street. According to Italcementi, the cement has a photocatalyzer that speeds up the natural oxidation process of pollutants in the presence of natural or artificial light, making it more environmentally-friendly by "transforming them into less harmful compounds such as water, nitrates, or carbon dioxide." Now if only they could repave every freeway in Los Angeles with this stuff, that would be a major boon for the environment; of course, shutting down LA's arteries would be like shutting down our access to the internet -- not gonna happen.

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[Salvatore @ Apr 15th 2008 2:54PM]

I believe this is a great idea. We only now need to develope a way to eat up all CO2 in the atmosphere so our kids, kids can have a healthy and bright future.

When I build, I try to sell everyone on the idea of using this eco friendly concrete.

[nc @ Jul 2nd 2008 9:49AM]

Today CNN has decided to run a story on this pollution-eating cement.

Note to commenter: though most consumer vehicles in the US do not use diesel, nearly all commercial vehicles in the US do use diesel. You've probably noticed that there are a lot of semis on US roads.

[captain obvious @ Nov 11th 2006 6:47PM]

Obviously something like this could be phased in during normal road repairs. You know, like when they normally have to repave roads. duuu.

[Jon @ Nov 11th 2006 6:59PM]

They have a NOx problem because of all the diesels they use. The only problem modern gasoline engines cause is CO2, which is completely non-toxic to humans.

[mccarron @ Nov 11th 2006 7:20PM]

Diesels are starting to gain popularity here though. Especially with the new low-sulfur diesels, many companies are planning diesel models for the US. Petrol burning cars emit SOME nitrous oxides too. Especially older ones. As long as its not much more expensive than normal concrete... this should be used everywhere.

[phil @ Nov 11th 2006 9:57PM]

"gasoline engines cause is CO2, which is completely non-toxic to humans."

I believe you're thinking of CO (but it's still toxic). Hemoglobin will uptake CO more readily than O2, and will kill you quite rapidly. Although C02 is definitely a byproduct, the CO will kill you before you experience CO2 poisoning.

CO2 is most definitely toxic. Why do you think our bodies expirate it? OSHA considers anything above 6% concentration in the local beathable environment deadly (because it lowers the O2 concentration below 19.5%).

[catfish @ Nov 11th 2006 7:33PM]

well in all fairness the LA smog is caused by NOx's (specifically, NO2 dimerizing to N2O4

[ThisIsNo @ Nov 11th 2006 8:03PM]

If you read the linked article, you will see that the cost of the TX Active concrete is quoted as being one third more expensive than traditional concrete. Titanium dioxide (the active "ingredient") is very commonly used already in various industries, so I can't imagine the cost of producing the compound is too shocking. Using TiO2 for this purpose isn't a new concept, either, just a new application of it. The materials division of Mistubishi rolled out a similar product in the form of pavers a while back.

[... @ Nov 11th 2006 10:32PM]

CO2 and water make up most the the exhaust from cars, and neither of which is nearly as toxic as anything else that a car (or most machines for that matter) puts out... Lets see what happens if we throw you in a room with 6% N2O4...

The only problem with the huge amount of CO2 is that it causes global warming.

[Dave @ Nov 11th 2006 10:37PM]

Can you please edit the article to reflect that the material is actually concrete, not cement. Cement is a component of concrete.

[Rebecca @ Jun 4th 2007 4:19PM]

It actually is a cement not a concrete. It is made as cement and then that is mixed w/ aggregates and water to make concrete.

[jabbawack @ Nov 12th 2006 6:04AM]

Oh, sometimes even Italians can read this blog and be proud. We are not only pizza, mandolino, mamma mia, padrino etc. etc. Well, we ALSO are pizza mandolino etc. Actually I don't know a single person who can play a mandolino, but that's another story..

[Baffled @ Nov 13th 2006 8:16AM]

I can't believe this! Here I am, wasting my day away at work, reading engadget, when I stumble upon an article about the company I work for! I am actually at Essroc in Indiana, but we are owned by the Italcementi Group. I never imagined that anything regarding the cement industry would pop-up on Engadget! I guess if my boss walks by, I will be able to justify my blog-reading time...

[steve @ Nov 13th 2006 4:33PM]

This is all fine and dandy. Until the Cylons program it to identify people as a pollutant and it starts eating people

[Isaac @ Dec 18th 2006 12:43PM]

What if it mutates? It'd be like The Blob meets The Thing. I don't think fire extinguishers will stop it then.

I wonder how this would work for making buildings in big cities? Imagine all of the big buildings and sidewalks using this stuff. Hmmm...

It'll take a minor miracle to see this stuff in production though. The city/state contracts building and roadwork to the lowest bidder. The lowest bidder isn't going to be the lowest bidder if he has to factor in a 1/3 increase in concrete costs... see? We'll all be walking around wearing half-face respirators and using acid-resistant umbrellas and raincoats long before this stuff becomes widely used.

Still it is new technology, which is inevitably more expensive. Maybe if rich cities buy it first, prices will start to drop. Like any new tech. :) I'm thinking we'll see this used in wealthier driveways first. Maybe a handful of eco-friendly people (i.e. hippies) who can afford it. I would if I could. Even if it doesn't actually help in such small quantities, every little bit helps. Or helps me feel better. :)