NOxapture
Air pollution kills 10 million people annually. NOxapture harnesses the power of photocatalysis to neutralize the most deadly pollutants including NOx. The production process is carbon-negative and products are installed immediately to begin cleaning the air. NOx tiles instead work with the consumerist impulse in both design and environmental impact. The tiles are made of biochar, one of the only carbon-negative materials in the world. The process of producing biochar takes carbon dioxide out of the air and sequesters it into a stable form for thousands of years. The resulting material is light, durable, and most importantly adheres to TiO2. The maximalism is reflected in the design which uses differential curves to disturb airflow and maximize the surface area. This causes polluted air to linger around the tiles longer and maximize the TiO2 available to photocatalysis and neutralize the pollutants.
+MAPPING
Six locations in downtown Austin were selected to place sensors. Locations were selected on their proximity to each other as well as variety in the hyper-local environment. Factors such as traffic, and greenspace were considered to study a wide range of micro-climates.
+DATA COLLECTION
Sensors were placed in six locations, in downtown Austin. All the sensors reflected the diurnal movement pattern of people moving through the city; pollution spiking during rush hour traffic. all six sensors were placed within a mile of each other, but the over a 100 point difference in index value reflects on importance of understanding pollutant microclimates.
+DIFFERENTIAL CURVE
Parametrized differential curves relate points along a curve to a smooth dimensional volume. As the points in a curve are increased curve manifolds fill up the plane. We see differential growth in nature wherever there’s evolutionary pressure to increase surface areas such as the brain and many types of coral. In order to maximize the surface area with which airborne pollutants can interact with the TiO2 coating, a differential growth massing was selected.
+PYROLYSIS
Pyrolysis is the heating of organic material, such as biomass, in the absence of oxygen. Biomass pyrolysis is usually conducted at or above 500 °C, providing enough heat to deconstruct the strong bio-polymers mentioned above. Because no oxygen is present combustion does not occur, rather the biomass thermally decomposes into combustible gases and bio-char. Most of these combustible gases can be condensed into a combustible liquid, called pyrolysis oil (bio-oil), though there are some permanent gases (CO2, CO, H2, light hydrocarbons), some of which can be combusted to provide the heat for the process. Thus, pyrolysis of biomass produces three products: one liquid, bio-oil one solid,bio-oil and one gaseous, syngas. All of there by-products sequester the carbon found in bio-mass that would otherwise be released back into the environment.
Different ratios of bio-char, hemp, lime, and water were combined to produce a range of bricks. These bricks were then tested for their insulation, compressive strength, density, and hardness.
+PHOTOCATALYSIS
Titanium dioxide can remove harmful nitrogen oxides in the air through 'photocatalysis' – a process where light speeds up a naturally occurring chemical reaction called photolysis. The byproducts of the reaction at H20 and C2+ are both harmless. Titanium dioxide applied directly to building facades is ineffective because air particles don’t linger long enough for the reaction to occur. The differential growth pattern of the NOx tiles is intended to disrupt airflow encouraging the reaction.
+PROTOTYPING
Creating a hexagonal tile prototype with the differential growth pattern. Testing a miniture 3-printed which will be negative cast in silicone to then positive cast in cast in biochar. Additional tests will need to be run on the thickness of the pipes in casting as biochar testing was done using the brick shape.
+RENDERING
Mixing and matching different sizes and shapes of tiles allows facades to have a unique, mutable, pattern that embraces maximalsim