by Shane Henson — May 2, 2012—Alcoa, a major producer and innovator in the global primary and fabricated aluminum and related industries, has unveiled one of the first commercial building installations of its Reynobond with EcoClean, an architectural panel that cleans itself and the air around it. The innovative, sustainable panels were recently installed at Electronic Recyclers International’s (ERI) new electronics recycling hub facility in Badin, North Carolina. Alcoa is a minority investor in ERI, a U.S. recycler of electronics waste.
“As one of the first installations of EcoClean in North America, the ERI facility in Badin represents an exciting step forward for sustainable building design, making this new electronics recycling facility even more eco-friendly,” said Alcoa Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Kevin Anton.
EcoClean was developed by Alcoa scientists through a process that leverages patented HYDROTECT technology to apply a titanium dioxide coating, called EcoClean, to the pre-painted aluminum surface of Alcoa’s Reynobond architectural panels. The coating works with natural sunlight, acting as a catalyst to break down organic pollutants on its surface and in the air around it into harmless matter, which is then washed away by rainwater. Ten thousand square feet of EcoClean has the smog removal power of approximately 80 trees, equivalent to offsetting the nitrogen oxide created by the pollution output of four cars per day, says Alcoa.
