Airlite paint is said to “purify the air by attacking and neutralising pollutants and microbes… eliminating 99.9% of bacteria and mould, reduce air pollution by 88.8% and neutralise odours”.
Bouygues was persuaded of the paint’s merits during its 2019 Matching Up programme, through which it invites start-ups and small businesses to pitch their innovations. The specific theme of the 2019 Matching Up programme was ideas for improving school and campus developments.
AM Technology pitched its Airlite paint, which is marketed with the slogan: “The paint that turns your walls into an air purifier.”
According to the manufacturer, when Airlite comes into contact with light, the paint becomes ‘active’, creating an ionized layer on its surface. This active layer works to purify the air around it. Working in a way similar to plants using sunlight to turn CO2 and water into Oxygen, Airlite’s version of photosynthesis reverts pollutants back into harmless atmospheric gasses and salts.
Impressed by the claims, Bouygues trialled Airlite on a project where air quality was a concern. More than 86,000 readings were taken over a month, during which Airlite was found to significantly reduce toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2), VOCs (volatile organic compounds), CO2 footprint and eliminate 99.9% of bacteria on surfaces, all while producing no toxic or flammable waste as associated with regular paints. The construction company was impressed.
.png)
According to Fabienne Viala, chair of Bouygues Construction UK: “Airlite is a ground-breaking product which offers real innovation to significantly improve sustainable environmental performance and air quality, key priorities for the group and for the industries we operate in. It brings considerable value to what we can offer clients across our project portfolio in the education, residential and healthcare sectors.
“Our partnership with AM Technology is a great success story for our Matching Up programme, offering a brilliant example of how collaborative partnerships between industry and innovators can positively impact the built environment.”
Airlite chief executive Antonio Cianci said: “Airlite was created as a simple solution to improving air quality and the health and wellbeing of us all, whilst also caring for our planet. Our partnership with Bouygues Construction UK demonstrates our commitment to these topics, as well as how relevant they are across the full design-build-operate-maintain cycle, for contractors, owners and tenants.
“We look forward to working with Bouygues Construction UK across the education, residential and healthcare sectors to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of us all.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
