summary :pP

Self-cleaning Walls and Windows

            The article “Self-Cleaning walls and windows” talks about how to clean the walls and windows without the interact of humans. The secret in this is the photocatylist, it is a substance that is activated by light energy and reacts with divots and release H2O and CO2.

            In 2007 TOTO company starts selling a boasted photocatylist. When panting walls an undercoating substance then the pairing pigment and last the photoctylist substance. This substance is kept on the top to contact with dirts, and the top layer is a mixture of titanium oxide.

            Painting two houses of this method is equivalent to 15 popular trees in purifying air, 13 million meter squares have been coated in Japan.

            A bullet train company used this method to keep its windows clean for passengers to enjoy the outside scenery during their trip. Niobium is used as photocatylist instead of titanium oxide because titanium oxide reacts with sodium in the glass causing it to deteriorate.

 

References:

“Self-Cleaning Walls and Windows (January 2009), retrieved from http://web-japan.org/trends/08_sci-tech/sci090116.html

Hedley's trip :)

Thirty years ago, Hedley, his elder daughter and his wife travelled on a trip to the Niah caves which are in East Malaysia. They set out in the morning and they arrived there at the sunset time. They went to Niah by car and stayed at a government rest house only for one night and before they went to sleep, they asked one of the men there to let them cross the river on his boat but it was too late and the man was going to bed. However, Hedley offered him some money and then the man accepted. They saw huge caves, there were men climbing the caves to drop down nests from the top of the caves. They were collecting those nests for some Chinese restaurants. They returned the next day. The bad thing that happened on the trip was that his car was damaged and he couldn’t put his car on reverse but, they had to get out of the car and push it if they wanted to reverse it. =)