Sustainable composite material for building surface maintenance

由于《清洁空气法》（1968年）的实施，雨水的毒性和酸度降低，导致建筑环境表面的地衣和藻类无法控制地繁殖。藻类会在建筑物表面造成难看的污渍。地衣是藻类和真菌的共生关系，为屋顶苔藓提供了固定点和营养来源。屋顶上生长的苔藓阻塞了排水通道，在冬季冻结和膨胀，将石板推开，导致水进入屋顶空间并失去热完整性。屋顶苔藓清洁行业目前使用对环境有害的杀藻剂喷雾来防止地衣和苔藓重新生长。这个过程需要每2-3年重复一次。铜线、铜带和屋脊瓦在屋顶表面氧化并释放铜，为控制苔藓提供了更环保的选择。然而，铜表面氧化迅速，每隔2-3年需要在屋顶进行磨料抛光才能继续工作。在之前的Innovate UK项目（103015）中，项目合作伙伴创造了主要由食品和饮料制造业副产品组成的复合材料，可以提供长达15年的免维护控制藻类，地衣和苔藓生长在建筑环境的一系列表面上。这项技术的更广泛的好处是减少了有机杀菌剂污染物的使用，降低了家庭的成本和潜在的屋顶损坏风险，并利用了不可再生资源的使用和废物的重新利用。该项目将确定和应对经济和技术挑战，以引入创新解决方案，进一步提高环境可持续性，并建立循环经济商业模式，将创新成果商业化。

Reductions in the toxicity and acidity of rain as a result of the Clean Air Act (1968) led to an uncontrolled proliferation of lichen and algae on surfaced in the built environment. Algae can cause unsightly staining of building surfaces. Lichen, which are a symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi, provide an anchorage point and nutrient source for moss on roofs. Moss growth on roofs block drainage channels and freeze and expand in winter, pushing slates apart leading to water ingress into roof spaces and losses of thermal integrity.The roof moss cleaning industry currently uses environmentally damaging algaecide sprays to prevent lichen and moss re-growth. A process that needs to be repeated every 2-3 years. Copper wire, bands and ridge tiles, which oxidise and release copper over a roof surface provide a more environmentally-benign alternative for moss control. However, copper surfaces oxidise rapidly and require roof access for abrasive polishing every 2-3 years to continue workingIn a previous Innovate UK project (103015) the project partners created composite materials composed predominantly of by-products from food and drink manufacturing industries, that could provide up to 15 years of maintenance-free control of algae, lichen and moss growth on a range of surfaces in the built environment. The wider benefits of this technology are a reduced use of organic biocide pollutants, a reduction in cost and potential roof damage risk for householders and use of non-renewable resources use and the re-purposing of waste materials.This project will identify and address the economic and technological challenges for introducing an innovative solution to further enhance environmental sustainability and a Circular Economy business model for commercialising the innovation.