A protective surface treatment that cleans the air with the power of the sun

Lucas has developed a new protective surface treatment for porous surfaces such as stone and concrete that cleans the surrounding air.

It is called Lucas Breathe and it is a colourless protective surface treatment containing miniscule (micronized) titanium dioxide particles. It protects the stone and concrete but at the same time reacts with sunlight that activates a catalytic reaction with pollutants in the air, turning them into harmless trace elements of water, carbon dioxide and nitrate salts which disperse naturally.

Lucas Breathe has been developed by the R&D team over the last two years in our paint testing laboratories. It is an invisible water-based treatment which forms a scaffold of surface treatment and penetrates deep into the substrate to remain active so long as light is present.

It dramatically reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrous oxide NOx pollution from traffic and resists the surface growth of mould. It helps kill airborne spores and allergens which cause asthma and breathing problems. The air cleansing action of the treatment is similar to the way plants and trees improve air quality.

The use of Lucas Breathe will contribute considerably to buildings being able to achieve the WELL Building Standard, an internationally-recognised evidence-based system for measuring and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being.

The performance of Lucas Breathe has been underwritten after rigorous independent testing and analysis by Queen’s University, Belfast, and we are proud to be early adopters of this new technological advance.