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[June 2004]
Developments in 'Intelligent' Tiles
Exhibition centre and organiser Messe Muenchen GmbH (Munich, Germany) says that new surfaces and materials, their properties and performance will be the themes of a special display in Hall A6 in the tiles section of BAU 2005, taking place in the New Munich Trade Fair Centre from 17-22 January 2005.
Five architects from leading architectural practices in Germany will be presenting the results of workshops on the subject of 'macro-architecture'. Collages will be used to illustrate in a very realistic way what the materials and surfaces of the present and the future look like.
These visions show what requirements architects are placing on the building materials of the future.
Photovoltaics, a specialist area within nanotechnology, has already brought added value to a new generation of tiles. UV radiation, including that from natural daylight, is now being used to produce an anti-bacterial reaction. Submicron sized anatase particles (TiO2) in the surface of the glaze operate as the catalyst for the reaction.
As these tiny particles are integrated permanently into the glaze through a thermal process, they suffer no degradation through ageing. Tests by Japanese scientists show that wolfram trioxide as a catalyst can provoke such photovoltaic reactions even with the light from a 10W bulb.
In addition to the functional properties of surfaces, other properties are also possible with tiles. Using findings from other areas of research, it is possible to produce a highly porous, lightweight 'tile material' with high sound-absorbing and heat-insulating properties. Research is also underway into the integration of electronic circuitry into tiles, movement sensors and temperature-regulating elements.
The material sciences have a lot to offer the world of ceramics. In Japan, an 'earth ceramic' has been developed; here, tiles of just 5mm thickness, vitrified at only 900°C, can match the strength of standard tiles. These fine-pored materials can absorb not only moisture, but also unpleasant smells.
www.bau-muenchen.de
ENDS