Field test of self-cleaning Zr-modified-TiO$_2$-SiO$_2$ films on glass with a demonstration of their anti-fogging effect

Šuligoj, Andraž (author), Pliekhova, Olena (author), Vodišek, Nives (author), Mihelčič, Mohor (author), Surca, Angelja Kjara (author), Kunič, Roman (author), Šubic, Barbara (author), Starman, Jernej (author), Ugovšek, Aleš (author), Lavrenčič Štangar, Urška (author)

The number of commercial products claiming self-cleaning properties is rising and testing of long-term activity and durability of such coatings needs to be addressed more. The time-dependent changes of different characteristics like haze, transparency, and color are essential for transparent glazing materials. Herein, we aimed to examine whether the laboratory results obtained on the Zr-modified-titania-silica (TiZr) self-cleaning materials would translate to larger-scale outdoor-exposed testing. TiZr thin films were deposited via spraying onto float glass window surfaces and exposed into three different environments for 20 months. For comparison, a commercially available active SGG BIOCLEAN$^{TM}$ glass and standard float glass were simultaneously exposed in the same conditions. It was shown that the self-cleaning property of either a commercial product or TiZr-coated float glass was not considerably effective in real field test conditions, although the previous laboratory tests showed pronounced photocatalytic activity of TiZr thin films. The inclination angle; however, was shown to have a considerable effect on the self-cleaning ability of samples, as did the rain patterns during the testing period. On the other hand, the anti-fogging effect of our TiZr material was very well expressed in controlled laboratory conditions (measuring droplet formation time) as well as in the real outdoor environment.

• Language: English
• Keywords: self-cleaning, anti-fogging, titanium dioxide, silica, field test, glazing, TiO$_2$-SiO$_2$
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology; FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 13, art. 2196
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-132855
• UDC: 620.1:546.82-31:546.28-31
• ISSN on article: 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma12132196
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1538290883
• Publication date in RUL: 05.11.2021

ŠULIGOJ, Andraž, PLIEKHOVA, Olena, VODIŠEK, Nives, MIHELČIČ, Mohor, SURCA, Angelja Kjara, KUNIČ, Roman, ŠUBIC, Barbara, STARMAN, Jernej, UGOVŠEK, Aleš and LAVRENČIČ ŠTANGAR, Urška, 2019, Field test of self-cleaning Zr-modified-TiO$_2$-SiO$_2$ films on glass with a demonstration of their anti-fogging effect. Materials [online]. 2019. Vol. 12, no. 13,  2196. [Accessed 19 July 2025]. DOI 10.3390/ma12132196. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=132855

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Materials
• Shortened title: Materials
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1996-1944
• COBISS.SI-ID: 33588485

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 08.07.2019

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: samočistilne površine, protizarositvene površine, titanov dioksid, silicijev dioksid, terenska raziskava, zasteklitev

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: L2-7630
• Name: Termo- in fotoaktivne prevleke za okna

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P1-0134
• Name: Kemija za trajnostni razvoj