Does the self-cleaning glass need to be cleaned manually?
Easy-clean glass is usually also vividly called “self-clean glass or Auto-clean glass” in business. It generally refers to the application of a special coating on the surface of the glass, which makes it difficult for dust or dirty liquids (including liquids containing water or even oil) to adhere to the surface of the glass, or to be easily washed by water (or rain) In this way, the glass surface is very easy to keep clean, which reduces the trouble of cleaning the glass surface and also saves water resources.
This special paint is the so-called “easy-clean paint” or “self-cleaning paint”. It is developed by using two basic physical characteristics of objects in nature. The so-called easy-to-clean glass means that the surface of the glass has a high hydrophobicity similar to the lotus effect so that the water cannot be completely attached to the glass, and the surface tension of the water droplets itself produces a drop-like phenomenon. The water droplets will naturally slide off and take away the dust, making the glass have an easy-to-clean effect, The dust will not be able to accumulate, compared with the water siltation of ordinary glass, the long-term effect is quite different.
What are the categories of self-cleaning glass coatings?
The “easy-clean coatings” or “self-cleaning coatings” used on the surface of glass and ceramics on the market can be roughly divided into three categories:
1. The main component is silicone (or silicon agricultural production system resin) or other oily materials. It is coated on the surface of the material to give a greasy feeling, but it does not interact with the silicon dioxide molecules on the surface of the material to form a firm Nanofilm, but only fills up the uneven surface of the material that is invisible to our naked eyes, making the surface of the material smooth and uniform. Its advantage is that it has a strong repellent effect on water (but not oil). The disadvantage is that it has poor adhesion. In a short period of time (6-12 months), its water-repellent properties will be greatly reduced.
2. The main component is titanium dioxide (TiO2). After plating/coating a layer of titanium dioxide film on glass, titanium dioxide has super hydrophilicity due to its excellent photocatalytic properties under the action of (ultraviolet) light energy. Utilizing this super-hydrophilic property (contrary to the hydrophobic property of Golden Seal paint), it makes small water droplets converge into large water droplets, which fall off under the action of gravity, so that the stains on them can be easily Being washed away by water makes the glass easy to clean, so it is especially suitable for outdoor architectural glass. The advantage is that it is cheap, but the disadvantage is that it must be irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and the adhesion is also poor.
3. The main component is inorganic nano-silicon material, which is characterized by super-hydrophilic coating on the surface and good anti-dust. It does not rely on sunlight and works in a completely dark environment.
