1 | P a g e

Effect of Nano Technology in Paints Under Dubai Climate Condition

to increase comfort zone for public

DUBAI MUNICPALITY, Dubai Central

Laboratory Department

2 | P a g e

1.Summary: The application of nanotechnology applied to the model house built and the paint properties studied by technical team in order to protect the walls of building and office due to drastic climate change of Dubai city and save routine maintenance cost , historical assets lifespan, and sustainable to public and environment.

2.Paint Defects due to climate change: In general Dubai city climate during summer feel hot and the ambient temperature around 50 deg. Celsius in top and ground side around 60 deg. celsius, high humidity reaches up to 95%, sand storm occasionally and winter time too foggy. Dubai also very close to desert and seaside and the air passing through the sea enter into the land side contains salt of chloride and sulphate are also there in the air and soil of dust.

Figure1 : Paint Wrinkling and Peeling

Figure 2 : Color fading and dirt pickup

3 | P a g e

Dubai climate most of the year sunny causing severe ultraviolet radiation on buildings increasing heat island effect. The light motor vehicles and Heavy trucks passing over the roads generating dust and fumes spread over the buildings and causes more dirt to the walls. The residential buildings and offices coated with paints during climate changes facing many problems like alligatoring, blistering, Cracking/Flaking, Dirt Pickup, Efflorescence/Mottling, Fading/Poor Color Retention, Lapping, Poor gloss retention, Wrinkling, fungal and mould attack. The paint and coatings used interior or exterior of buildings contain organic solvents,additives,binder and pigments causing problems to public health as well as environment. We received several complaint from public, customers and consultants about paint discolouration,dirt pickup and heat waves transfer through walls. This affected to some extent the beauty of Dubai city.

3. The main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome The main challenge is how to protect the walls from drastic climatic conditions(too hot, salty, dust and foggy) and at the same time the Paint or coatings used for buildings or offices should be free of hazardous chemicals as well as ecofriendly to public and environment. The paint shall be formulated without affecting physical and chemical properties and at the same time green to the environment. We made several discussion with manufacturer of international paint companies about the Paint defects during climate changes. Another challenge, cooperation from the international paint companies and technical information support about paint formulation.

4 | P a g e

The materials require to construct model house and skilled professional to make model house as per the design and our idea. Paints are complex mixtures of substances (pigments, resins/binders, solvents and additives). They are usually applied on walls (indoor), facades (outdoor), vehicles and furniture, among other purposes. Depending on the surface type, e.g. concrete, bricks, stone, wood, metal or glass, they are developed to meet particular requirements: decorative appearance; protection against radiation, humidity/water, microorganisms; fire protection and thermal insulation. There are water- and oil-based paints, which can have additional functionalities depending on the necessities of the consumer. Generally conventional paints are less resistance against Stress Cracking, dirt pickup, Poor Adhesion, Moisture Penetration, Mold, Mildew and Bacteria, Durability and color fading. All the above said paint properties are taken into consideration during the initiative.

5 | P a g e

4.Solution: In order to find a solution Dubai Central laboratory of Dubai Municipality formed technical team to conduct initiative on Paint defects on the walls. The technical team interact with internal and external members to fix the problems related to paint defects by conducting meeting, factory visit, Participating Seminars and conducting Conference. The scope of the initiative how to protect the coated walls of buildings during climate changes and at the same time reducing use of dangerous chemicals & substance present in the paint and related coatings safer to environment. Dubai central Laboratory Technical members visited different paint manufacturer factory and onsite field to analyze for the cause of paint defective. Different kinds of paints collected from markets and tested for Volatile organic compounds,Heavymetals like arsenic,cadmium,mercury and hexavalent chromium at Construction Materials Laboratory section. Most of the solvent based paints contain very high volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. After several discussion and meeting with international paint manufacturers, through literatures nano molecules play vital role to protect walls from climate changes as well as dirt pickup resistance properties. The main cause for paint film damages due to foreign particles enter into the holes of the walls and start to react with inner surface. The Technical team finally concluded nano technology will improve paint properties by applying over the conventional paints and related coatings. Technical team got an idea and suggested to develop a paint or coatings contain nanomolecules having high dirt

6 | P a g e

pickup resistance,UV stability, antifungal attack ,vibrant color retention and free from hazardous solvent. Nanomaterials are thought to improve these functionalities, i.e. water/dirt repellent "easy to clean", UV-protection, antimicrobial resistance, scratch resistance or extending the paints' lifespan. Nanoparticles are so small that they can ‘organize themselves’ closely enough and bond together to form a ‘molecularly’ sealed surface. The particles are sized such that when the functional film is formed it does so by packing millions more of these particles together in the same unit cross-section that a ‘normal’ paint or surface coating would utilize. Due to specific properties of nano molecules particularly size of nanoparticles will deeply penetrate into the walls structure and protect the paint film. Nano coatings are free of organic solvents and can be applied over primer, basecoats and color shades. Nano coatings behave in a totally different manner to normal coatings. The smallness of the particles allows for an inherently improved flow characteristic which could now eliminate solvents. Solvents (including water) are only ever utilized in paints and coatings to improve viscosity, flow and hence applicability. The solvents ‘evaporate’ off leaving the resin/pigment particles to form conventional films. Nano coatings, because of the extremely small particulate technology can be applied to virtually any substrate surface Glass,Ceramic,Metal,Concrete,Plastic,Masonry,Chrome/steel,etc. Nanomaterials are expected to improve the existing Properties of paints due to their specific structural characteristics such as size, shape and greater surface area, which could solve most paint defects and stable during

7 | P a g e

climate changes.Nanopaints can be used in residential and industrial buildings at any kind of substrate which protect the entire asset by its functionalities. In order to check the efficiency of nano technology in paint under Dubai climatic condition, this initiative was developed by the technical team to improve paint properties.

8 | P a g e

5. Nano Model House to evaluate nano materials benefits to Public environment

NanoHouse also performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate whether using nanomaterials in paints could be beneficial for the public and environment. An improvement of the environmental benefits when using a nano-paint depends much on its actual composition and functionality and can therefore not be generalized. Equally, the production of the nanomaterials and the nano-paints has a strong impact on the environment. Extending the paints' lifetime by integrating nanomaterials in the formulation is one potential benefit which could over-compensate the larger impact of the production of nano-paints compared to a conventional ones.

The Nano paints of different type received from manufacturers and tested in Construction Materials Laboratory Section of Dubai Central Laboratory to evaluate the environment and public health safety related testing services.

9 | P a g e

Figure 3: Nano paint coated House

The importance of testing Nano paints and coatings are to ensure the physical and chemical properties are within the Dubai and UAE climate conditions as well as public and environment safety aspects.

The test result shall be compared with International and Dubai Green building Regulations specification Limits.

The tests were performed according to Dubai Green Building Regulation requirement and the test methods followed as per International Standards Like ASTM,British standard and Dubai Municipality Standard.

10 | P a g e

6. On Site Testing and Development of Nano matrix Paints

Construction Materials Laboratory Section of Dubai Central Laboratory had studied the effect of Nano paints and coatings on buildings/house by using model houses to evaluate the physical and chemical conditions of applied coatings. The nano paints and coatings were tested as Incan product condition in order to check the VOCs,Heavymetals and Formaldehyde content.

The model houses were made by materials same as living conditions of buildings/house. The nano paints and coatings were applied to the walls and the physical and chemical properties were monitored and analyzed periodically

The test results of physical and chemical analysis of nano paints and coatings found satisfactory as per Dubai Green Building regulations requirement.

The nano matrix present in the paint and coatings penetrates into the wall / gypsum /EIFS boards due to the size of the nano particles. The nano particles deeply penetrates into the wall structures and protect the walls from moisture and other gas/chemical attacks.

The Use of nano paints and coatings on Interior and Exterior walls/gypsum/EIFS boards are worthy in terms of quality, cost reduction of routine maintenance, safe environment and public health safety.

11 | P a g e

Initial stage of Dubai Historical Model House Construction 2016

Figure 4: Nano paint model House preparation stage

12 | P a g e

Planning and Fixing Dubai Historical model House at Dubai Central Laboratory Department 2017

Figure 5 :Planning and Fixing Nano paint first stage model House

13 | P a g e

Nanopaint Coated Modern Residential building house placed at Dubai Central Laboratory Department in

2018

Figure 6 : modern second stage nano paint model House

14 | P a g e

7.Specific Details of the Idea

The technical team planned the task in two ways. First one overall annual plan and the second plan about testing frequency. The annual plan starts with literature review, discussion with technical team and international paint companies, model house built up, nanocoat preparation at manufacturer premise, nanocoat panels preparation, periodical visual examination, periodical testing panel at laboratory, test study evaluation and reports submission.

15 | P a g e

The Technical members of Dubai Central Laboratory Department are, 1.Er.Adnan Mahmood Al Marzooqi, Head of Construction Material Laboratory section 2.Mrs.Hend Ismail Al Rahma, Head of Chemical Analysis Unit 3.Er.Ali Ahmed Elian, Engineering Materials Expert 4.Mr.Ramakrishnan Murugaiyan, Senior Engineering Materials Analyst The plan was initially discussed with DCL Director, Head of Construction material laboratory Section, Head of chemical analysis unit and Senior chemists. As per the plan the 1.5 by 1.5 meter with height of 2 meter Dubai historical type model house was built. Then nanocoating was formulated at international company premises. Half of the model house was applied without nanocoat and other half with nanocoat and identified as PART A and PART “B” respectively. Based on the above plan the technical team placed the Dubai historical type model house into the Dubai Central laboratory department premises and subjected to Dubai climatic condition since Feb 2017. Similarly 18 small panel size of 150 by 15O mm and large panel size of 300 by 300 prepared for Laboratory testing and visual examination. 2 sets of small size panels placed near to the model house where as 6 larger size panels placed with support of stand adjacent to model house for visual examination as per the study plan.

16 | P a g e

With Nano CoatWithout Nano Coat

8

Figure 7: Dubai Historical type model house coated with and without nanopaint subjected to Dubai climatic conditions and as built by Technical Team

Different color shades like dark color, medium color and light colored coatings with nano and without nano coated panels were subjected to analysis. One set of smaller size panels kept as a reference samples. The other set of panels subjected to testing as per the schedule.

Figure8 : Nanocoated and 3 without nanocoated larger size of 300 by 300 mm panels were prepared with 3 different color shades dark, medium and light.

17 | P a g e

The testing frequencies are mentioned as per below table:

8.Frequency of Visual and Laboratory Testing

YEAR2017 YEAR 2018

As per the testing frequency plan the small and large size panels subjected to different Dubai climatic conditions as per the photo attached. The smaller size panels of with and without nanocoat tested monthly for dirt pickup, Solar reflectance index(SRI) and Light reflective values(LRV).

18 | P a g e

Nano paint preparation, model house construction followed with testing panels were monitored as well as onsite visit by respective Technical team members. The Laboratory testing’s like color fading, Solar reflective index, light reflectance value, Volatile organic compounds,heavymetals and formaldehyde test methods followed according to international standards. The testing equipment used for the above testing are advanced analytical equipments like Accelerated weathering tester, sphere-type spectrophotometer, Inductive couple plasma with optical emission spectrometer and High performance liquid chromatography in order to determine quantitatively. The tests were performed with highly qualified chemist with technical team members.

Figure9:3 set Nanocoated and 3 set without nanocoated, total of 27 small size of 150 by 150 mm size panels were prepared

with 3 different color shades dark medium and light.