Toto Ltd.

Jhcc Ltd.

Okitsumo Incorporated

Toto Okitsumo Coatings Ltd.

Mitsuhide Shimohigoshi

Akira Fujishima

Kazuhito Hashimoto

Makoto Hayakawa

Toshiya Watanabe

Tatsuhiko Kuga

Kazumasa Okita

Koji Okubo

Kazuo Takahashi

Akira Shimai

Norio Sendoda

Norio Sendora

A method of producing a photocatalytic coating material which includes: the steps of coating the surface of a base material having hydrophobic substances on its surface with a photocatalytic coating material including at least (a) photocatalytic oxide particles, (b) a hydrophobic-resin emulsion, (c) water, and (d) silica particles, and hardening the coated material. The average sizes of the ingredient (a) and the ingredient (d) are smaller than that of the emulsified particles of the hydrophobic resin dispersed in the ingredient (b), ingredient (a) constitutes 1 to &#x3c;5% by weight of the total solid matter of the coating material, ingredient (d) constitutes 1 to 90% by weight of a total solid matter of the coating material, and once the coating material is applied onto a base material, the photocatalytic oxide particles and the silica particles move upward and a coating film 1 &#x3bc;m to 1 mm thick is formed.

Method for producing photocatalytic coating material

This invention is intended to provide a photocatalytic coating material which includes: at least (a) photocatalytic oxide particles; (b) a hydrophobic-resin emulsion; and (c) water, wherein the average particle size of the photocatalytic oxide particles is smaller than that of the particles dispersed in the hydrophobic-resin emulsion. This invention is also intended to provide a self-cleaning water-base coating composition which includes: (a) water-based silicone emulsion or the like; (b) photocatalytic particles or a photocatalytic sol; and (c) water, wherein the solid matter of the ingredient (b) constitutes less than 5% by weight of the total solid matter of the coating composition. This invention is also intended to provide a self-cleaning water-base coating composition which includes: (a) water-based silicone emulsion or the like; (b) whisker or the like; (c) photocatalytic particles; (d) an inorganic coloring pigment; and (e) water.

Photocatalytic coating material, photocatalytic composite material and method for producing the same, and self-cleaning water-based coating composition and self-cleaning member

A method for highly hydrophilifying the surface of an article by photoexcitation of a semiconductor photocatalyst and maintaining the hydrophilicity is disclosed. A layer containing a photocatalyst is formed on a substrate. Onto the surface of the layer are fixed a hydroxyl group upon photoexcitation of the photocatalyst and a physically adsorbed water molecule in the vicinity of the hydroxyl group upon photoexcitation of the photocatalyst. Thus, the surface is highly hydrophilified. Further, this surface, simultaneously with the hydrophilification, exhibits higher hydrophobicity.

Photocatalytically hydrophilifying and hydrophobifying material

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Fukuoka, Japan

Mitsuhide Shimohigoshi