Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nano-particulate enhanced oil-in-water (O/W) facade emulsions for improved masonry thermal insulation and protection

This paper presents the evaluation of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nano-particulate aqueous facade emulsions for water repellent and thermal insulation applications. Treated bricks were assessed by; thermal conductivity, water contact angle (WCA), water vapour permeation, water absorption and treatment depth measurements. In addition, a theoretical model was produced which was used to evaluate possible financial and energy saving potential of such treatments. Nano-particulate emulsions showed a 5% water beading improvement over the emulsion control. Thermal insulation of the treated samples improved significantly in wet conditions and was attributed to reduced water ingress. The titanium dioxide treatment showed approximately 45% lower sorptivity values compared to the emulsion control. Each emulsion achieved 13–14 mm treatment penetration while still allowing water vapour permeation to occur. Theoretical modelling showed that all emulsions reduced energy consumption considerably allowing real financial savings to be made. Nano-particulate emulsions improved saving potential against the emulsion control by approximately 32%.