National Projects
Development and validation of glass production technology with biocidal properties dedicated to architectural and greenhouse applications
Title:
Development and validation of glass production technology with biocidal properties dedicated to architectural and greenhouse applications
Name of the programme: Smart Growth Operational Programme
Executive Agency: National Centre for Research and Development
Project financed by the National Centre for Research and Development under the Smart Growth Operational Programme
Project value: PLN 6,554,511.17
Contribution from national funds: PLN 5,185,921.96
Co-financing for Łukasiewicz – GIT: PLN 1,870,485.15
Start: 01.04.2018 / End: 31.03.2023
Consortium:
- Łukasiewicz Research Network – Upper Silesian Institute of Technology [Leader],
- D.A.GLASS sp. z o.o.,
- Marie Curie-Skłodowska University.
Project Manager:
dKrzysztof Radwański, BEng, PhD, DSc
Tel.: 32 2345 234
E-mail:
Objective:
The subject of the project was the development of glass with metallic layers with biocidal properties sputtered in magnetron technology for architectural and greenhouse applications within a period of 36 months.
The design works were divided into 6 stages.
Phase I focused on the development of a comprehensive technology for the production on a semi-industrial scale of multi-component alloy cathodes (targets), which were used to perform nanolayer sputtering on glass samples, and in the next stage as a result of scaling to industrial conditions on large-format glass. Microscopic tests of sputtered layers were carried out to determine their coatings (amorphous and crystalline components), analysis of, among others, optical parameters, durability of coatings, as well as microbiological tests to determine the effectiveness of neutralisation of the produced coatings against selected fungal and bacterial strains (indoor and greenhouse) under various lighting conditions (VIS, darkness), including their ability to purify air from microorganisms.
The project also included the creation of experimental greenhouse installations enabling a practical assessment of the impact of the use of the most effective layer on the quality of tomato greenhouse crops in the presence of phytopathogens and the impact on the elimination or significant reduction of the use of fungicides.
In addition, due to the assumed reflectivity of the layers produced in relation to near and medium infrared, the impact of their use on limiting the heating costs of greenhouse facilities was also assessed.
