Dipartimento di Chimica
Laboratorio di Processi e Impianti chimici per la Chimica Industriale

Test Report N. GF/2.2019
GRANITI FIANDRE S.p.A.
Via Radici Nord, 11242014 Castellarano (RE)
ItaliaTest: odor reduction tests in the air on Limestone ActiveTM
300x100 cm
Milan, 26/10/2019
Date of receipt
Analysis start date
Analysis end date

28/09/2019
29/09/2019
09/110/2019

Material
ProductSample
Test information

Ceramic Materials
Ceramic slabs in porcelain gres
Limestone Active 300x100 cm
 Degradation test of alpfa-pinene in air, chosen
as model molecule for pollution caused byodours.
 Tested sample: collected and cut in a 10x10
cm sample from an original slab, intact in all itsparts, randomly chosen from a production
batch.
 Pre-treatment methods: in accordance withISO 22197-2, the sample was UV-A irradiatedfor 6 hours and then immersion in deionizedwater for 2 hours in order to remove any
residues present at the surface.
 Light source: UV-A Jelosil 500, intensity 3.0
mW/cm2.
 Exposure time: 6 h.
 Initial concentration of alpha-pinene: 970 ± 10ppb in a tailored cylinder containing a complex
mixture of VOC (volatile organic compounds)
including BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene),aldehydes and chlorinated organic compounds
designed to simulate the real pollution of an air
in a confined environment.
 Type of reactor: for research purposes. Results

Prof. Claudia L. Bianchi
Tel 0250314253 –claudia.bianchi@unimi.itpublished in international scientific journals
1,2,3.
Analytical method: Proton Transfer ReactionTime of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToFMS)
Reproducibility:
themeasurement
wasrepeated on no. 5 samples, cut and randomly
chosen from # 5 different slabs.

Risultati Ottenuti
The alpha-pinene molecule was chosen as a model molecule for pollution by
odoriferous substances. Alpha-pinene, in fact, is an organic compound of theclass of terpenes and is found naturally in the resin of many species ofconifers, mainly in pines, and in many essential oils including rosemary oil
and in the oil of eucalyptus. It is commonly used for the characteristic pine
fragrance in the most common air fresheners, cars, etc., as well as abronchodilator in the medical field.
The graph of degradation of alpha-pinene for the material under test isreported. It is recalled that the test was performed using a complex gaseous
mixture comprising VOC including BTX, aldehydes and chlorinated organic
compounds designed to simulate real air pollution in a confined environment.

RSC Advances, 5 (2015) 53419-53425
Energy and Environment Focus, 4 (2015) 226-231
3Applied Catalysis B: Env., 146 (2014) 123–130
12Prof. Claudia L. Bianchi
Tel 0250314253 –claudia.bianchi@unimi.itIt is possible to observe how the photocatalytic ceramic is able to degrade
the odour molecule very quickly with an almost total destruction of alphapinene in about 60 min. The concomitant presence of other pollutants does
not affect the degradation of the odour molecule.
Conclusions
The Limestone Active 300x100 cm porcelain stoneware slab is activein the photocatalytic degradation of alpha-pinene, present in the polluted air
typical of a closed environment.
The Lab Director
Prof. Claudia Letizia Bianchi

Prof. Claudia L. Bianchi
Tel 0250314253 –claudia.bianchi@unimi.it