12/17/2011
Self cleaning fabric that use natural sunlight
A new coating for fabric will be able to use sunlight to self clean, removing stains and dirt.
The coating will contain a combination of titanium dioxide and nitrogen. Silver iodide nanoparticles added to the coating will improve the fabric's sensitivity to light. Exposing the treated fabric to sunlight will break down the dirt and kills microbes. The coating will retain its efficiency, even after repeated washings.
Current light-activated self-cleaning coatings differ from the new coating in that they require concentrated UV light to work rather than natural sunlight.
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