Capturing NOx Emissions with BMI’s Noxite® Membrane Technology

An innovative roofing membrane produced by BMI’s Icopal brand has the potential to counteract vehicle emissions.

A common pollutant

Nitrogen oxides—commonly abbreviated as NOx—are produced when the combustible fuel in cars and diesel engines reacts with the nitrogen and oxygen present in the air. The harmful effects of NOx on human health and the environment are widely known: NOx contributes to soot and ozone pollution, which can adversely impact crop yields, ecosystems, respiratory health and average life expectancy.

To help fight air pollution caused by NOx particles, the Icopal brand of BMI, a Standard Industries company, developed Noxite®, an innovative roofing membrane that removes harmful NOx molecules from the surrounding air. The membranes are coated with the photocatalyst titanium dioxide, which reacts with ultraviolet light from the sun to break down the nitrogen oxide particles into harmless levels of nitrates, carbon dioxide and water.

Breakthrough technology

Independent testing has proven that Noxite membranes can break down up to 90% of the NOx absorbed from the surrounding air within two months of their installation.* Even more impressively, these effects last the lifetime of the roof: over a 20-year period, the membranes may absorb and break down over 4,000 grams of NOx per square meter of roof.

BMI’s innovative Noxite® technology has already found applications in several projects around the world. When the Copenhagen Airport sought out a new roof for one of its lounges in 2013, for example, BMI came up with a proposal to install a new generation of Eco Activ® Noxite® roofing membranes across 320 square meters. At the Woodward Place housing project in Manchester, UK, BMI worked with the Great Places housing association to install Noxite® membranes on the complex as part of a roof refurbishment, helping provide cleaner, healthier air for the residents. Finally, in 2011, Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens—the former home to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs—received depolluting Noxite® granules across 10,000 square meters of its roof, renewing a historic sports landmark while capturing emissions from an urban environment.

With its proven performance, Noxite® provides a significant opportunity to reduce air pollution in both new and existing structures—all while maintaining the superior protection, durability and innovation that BMI’s roofing solutions are known for.

* Tests on Noxite® were carried out by three independent organizations: UL Environmental, the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Batiment (CSTB) and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). The findings of the test reports were validated by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) in 2013.