The 3M Industrial Mineral Products Division recently launched 3M Smog-reducing Granules to help remove NO_x using roofing shingles.

Integrated throughout a shingle’s surface, 3M’s roofing granules are designed with a specialized photocatalytic coating applied to the base mineral. The specialized coating on the granule is activated by the sun’s UV rays, while blending inconspicuously into various shingle color combinations.

As sunlight hits the shingles containing the smog-reducing granules, radicals are generated and transform NO_x into water-soluble ions improving air quality. This smart solution for pollution mitigation can help communities contribute toward their NOx emission reduction efforts.

To prove out the technology, 3M submitted granule and shingle samples to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for evaluation. Performance testing occurred using challenge gasses in a reaction chamber. Downstream of the system, NO_x concentrations were recorded in real time, prior to, during, and after UV illumination.

The testing validated the efficacy of 3M’s photocatalytic materials in reducing smog and contributing towards air purification.