Self-cleaning performance of photocatalytic cement mortar: Synergistic effects of hydration and carbonation

The prospect of nano-photocatalysts in cementitious systems is promising but the engineering application still limited, caused by insufficient insights on durability properties during service. Mortars with different binders and photocatalysts are prepared characterized to investigate deterioration mechanisms self-cleaning performance upon simultaneous hydration/carbonation. Alterations driven change microstructure, phase composition, optical analyzed. drop attributed higher band energy surface modification, stronger “sheltering” solid volume increase, worsened mass transfer reduction gel pores, retardation chemical equilibrium. TiO2-SiO2 composite microsilica were found resist hydration/carbonation promoting equilibrium limiting modification. Finally, a solution alleviate property, consideration mechanical, erosion cost issues, proposed.