Pilkington Act iv
™
Pilkington Activ
™
The world’s first self-cleaning glass.
With advanced dual action for superior results
Activ
TM
self-cleaning glass
Ro 8 (K3)
March 2006
CI/SfB
pg_0002
The benefits of
Pilkington Activ
™
•
The world’s first self-cleaning glass.
•
Unique coating breaks down and loosens even
heavy soiling.
•
Continues working on cloudy days and
during the night.
•
Reduces cleaning and maintenance costs, and
gives windows a better appearance for longer.
•
The ideal choice for situations where cleaning
will be difficult or costly (e.g. high rise buildings,
conservatories and roof lights), or where good
visibility is important (e.g. sports stadiums).
•
Unique coating cannot be worn away or rubbed off –
lasts the lifetime of the glazing itself in normal use.
•
Easily cleaned during dry spells by hosing down or
wiping with a soft cloth and warm soapy water.
•
Created and manufactured by the world’s leading
glass producer – Pilkington.
•
Can be combined with other Pilkington glass
products to offer a wide range of additional benefits.
All you need to know
about self-cleaning glass
Pilkington Activ
™
is effectively the same as
conventional glass but with a specially developed
coating on the outside that has a unique dual action.
Once exposed to daylight, the coating chemically
reacts in two ways. Firstly, it breaks down any
‘organic’ dirt deposits – such as bird droppings and
tree sap – and secondly, rainwater ‘sheets’ down the
glass to wash the loosened dirt away.
How can I be certain Pilkington Activ
™
will work.
Self-cleaning glass has long been seen as an
impossible dream. However, as you’d expect with
any new product from Pilkington, it has been
extensively developed and tested over a number of
years to make absolutely sure that any claim we
make is true. And our reputation for reliability and
quality makes sure it will go on working, too.
How does this ‘dual action’ work.
The secret of Pilkington Activ
™
lies in the special
coating, which works in two stages:
Breaking down organic dirt
Using a ‘photocatalytic’ process, the coating reacts
with ultra-violet rays present in natural daylight to
break down and decompose organic dirt.
Washing dirt away
The second part of the process happens when
rainwater hits the glass. Pilkington Activ
™
is
‘hydrophilic’which means that instead of forming
droplets, the water spreads evenly over the surface
and as it runs off takes the dirt with it. Compared
with conventional glass, the water also dries off very
quickly reducing unsightly ‘drying spots’
.
The Vistas, Cheshire.
Countryside Properties.
Museum of the Earth,
New York.
pg_0003
Is it environmentally friendly.
Yes. The coating contains harmless chemical
substances already found in the home, in such things
as bath oils and toothpaste. In fact, with only small
amounts of cleaning agents needed, Pilkington Activ
™
is kinder to the environment than ordinary glass.
Designing with
Pilkington Activ
™
Available in 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10mm thicknesses,
Pilkington Activ
™
is suitable for almost every
commercial application, proving particularly useful
in situations where cleaning would be difficult or
costly. It can be single glazed or incorporated into
an insulating glass unit, with the self-cleaning coating
positioned on the outside of the building,
facing the weather.
If Pilkington Activ
™
is to be installed where rainwater
will not reach it – for example, beneath an overhang –
dirt deposits are less likely to be washed away. In such
circumstances, these windows may need more regular
hosing. The minimum recommended angle is 10
degrees from horizontal, so that rainwater can .ow
over the glass properly.
Pilkington Activ
™
Blue is now available, combining
self-cleaning properties with solar control performance.
Considerations
Glazing and framing
•
It is essential not to use silicone lubricants in both
single glazed and insulated glass unit applications.
•
EPDM, TPE, foam, vinyl and some rubber-based
gaskets are all generally compatible with
Pilkington Activ
™
when used without a lubricant.
Refer to www.pilkington.com for full details.
•
If a lubricant is necessary, an alternative to silicone
oil – such as glycerine oil – should be used.
Does Pilkington Activ
™
work straight away.
Pilkington Activ
™
takes about five to seven days to
activate itself following installation, after which it
works continually with dirt being washed away
whenever it rains. The coating only needs a small
amount of UV radiation to work, so it continues to
break down and remove dirt even on overcast days.
Will Pilkington Activ
™
windows ever need cleaning.
Cleaning will be needed much less frequently. In
certain circumstances, such as during prolonged dry
spells, the windows can be washed off either by
hosing to replicate rain, or with a soft cloth and
warm soapy water.
Cleaning may also be necessary to remove inorganic
deposits (i.e. man-made deposits such as paint or ink)
from the glass.
What effect does the coating have on the glass.
Its appearance is similar to any other glass. The
special coating has no effect on its strength, it only
reduces the amount of light and energy that passes
through by a very small amount and gives the glass
an attractive slight blue tint.
Can it be scratched or rubbed off.
The coating on Pilkington Activ
™
is an integral part
of the glass – so it can only be affected if the surface
itself is damaged; for example, by pointed objects,
abrasive cleaners or steel wool. Our tests have also
shown it won’t .ake off or discolour.
How long will it last.
Tests on Pilkington Activ
™
have shown that the
coating will last as long as the glass itself.
Domestic conservatory,
Whitby.
pg_0004
Pilkington is continually working with manufacturers
to test the compatibility of Pilkington Activ
™
with
various glazing systems. When considering its use in a
particular project, it is therefore advisable to check
the details on www.pilkington.com or talk to our
technical experts at the earliest opportunity for the
latest information and advice.
Handling and maintenance
The handling, transportation and installation of
Pilkington Activ
™
require the same degree of care to
be taken as any coated glass product.
•
After building work is completed
Pilkington Activ
™
should be cleaned as soon
as possible by rinsing with water to remove all
traces of dust, abrasives, etc. which may have
accumulated during construction.
•
In areas with very ‘hard water’, cleaning
Pilkington Activ
™
by hosing may result in white
marks or milky appearance to the coated surface
(due to the mineral residues in the water). Here, it is
recommended that a solvent-free detergent be added
via a suitable applicator to minimise the effect.
•
Spraying should be conducted during the coolest
part of the day and not in direct sunlight.
It is best to spray from the top to the bottom
in a zig zag pattern.
(Note: pressure washers should not be used).
•
The white marks can be minimised by avoiding
hosing the glass at the hottest time of the day.
•
If the water quality is very hard (i.e. greater than
180ppm combined content of calcium carbonate,
CaCO
3
and magnesium carbonate, MgCO
3
) then
rinsing water should be softened through a
domestic water softener or through the addition of
a couple of drops of detergent (dishwashing
detergent suffices) to a litre of water.
•
Under no circumstances should any metal objects
or harsh chemical cleaners be used to clean or
otherwise come into contact with the coated
surface, as they may cause scratching and lead to
permanent damage of the coating.
For detailed information on any aspect of handling
and processing Pilkington Activ
™
, refer to our range
of technical guidelines, visit www.pilkington.com or
contact our Technical Advisory Helpline
on 01744 692000.
Britomart Transport Centre, Auckland.
pg_0005
Although its special coating is applied during
manufacture, Pilkington Activ
™
can be toughened –
making it five times stronger than ordinary
glass – laminated with other types of glass, dual
coated with a second coating on the reverse side or
installed into insulating glass units (IGU) to provide
a wide range of properties. The table below shows
these in more detail.
Combining with other Pilkington products
for added versatility
Energy management For thermal insulation, Pilkington Activ
™
can be incorporated into IGUs, such as Pilkington Insulight
™
,
with Pilkington K Glass
™
or Pilkington Optitherm
™
SN as the inner pane.
If it is necessary to have another glass as the inner pane of the IGU then Pilkington Activ Optitherm
™
SN
is also available, a dual coated product with Pilkington Optitherm
™
SN on the reverse side to
Pilkington Activ
™
.
For solar control, Pilkington Activ Suncool
™
HP 50/30, HP 53/40, HP 70/40 or HP 30/17 can be incorporated
into an IGU. These are again dual coated products, with Pilkington Suncool
™
on the reverse side to
Pilkington Activ
™
.
Pilkington Activ
™
Blue combines dual-action, self-cleaning properties with solar control performance. For
optimum self-cleaning and thermal performance, combine Pilkington Activ
™
Blue with Pilkington K Glass
™
or Pilkington Optitherm
™
SN in an IGU.
Solar control products are also available in laminated form, either using tinted PVB interlayers
or tinted glass laminated to Pilkington Activ
™
.
Safety and security
In toughened form Pilkington Activ
™
is up to five times stronger than ordinary glass. It achieves Class A
impact safety performance to BS 12600 (EN 12600 Class 1), and if it does break, it does so into small particles
reducing the risk of personal injury.
Pilkington Activ
™
can also be laminated, i.e. combined with another glass product with PVB interlayers to
produce a range of properties. The majority of laminated products (those of 6.4mm thickness and greater)
provide at least BS 6206 Class B (EN 12600 Class 2) performance against risk of accidental injury.
Noise control
Pilkington Activ
™
can be included in an IGU with an acoustic laminated glass, such as
Pilkington Optilam
™
Phon, for added noise control.
Decoration
Pilkington Activ Stippolyte
™
laminated glass can be produced combining Pilkington Activ
™
and Pilkington Stippolyte
™
– one of the Pilkington Texture Glass range. This could be incorporated
with Pilkington K Glass
™
in an IGU for use in areas which require obscuration and a low emissivity glass
in order to meet Part L.
For a coloured effect, Pilkington Activ
™
can also be combined in a laminated glass using
either tinted interlayers or tinted glass.
Fire protection
For Pilkington Activ
™
applications that require the use of fire-resistant glass, please contact
our technical experts for advice.