Although widely accepted in the European Union, Essroc's TX Millennium cement technology received its official North American rollout at this year's World of Concrete in Las Vegas. The product line consists of two key components: TX Arca cement, which provides concrete with a self-cleaning benefit; and, TX Aria cement, which results in concrete with the added ability to mitigate environmental pollution. The science behind the products is based on utilizing a hydraulic binder with photocatalytic properties that render the concrete self-cleaning and/or pollution-mitigating.

TX Arca reduces the maintenance requirements for concrete structures or buildings by destroying most organic and inorganic pollutants that come into contact with the surface and cause discoloration. Although the product is more expensive, Essroc says that the lack of traditional cleaning would show a return on investment in a relatively short time.

In addition to the self-cleaning benefit, TX Aria effectively destroys airborne pollutants that are responsible for urban organic pollution. The pollutants (including NOx) are trapped on the surface of the concrete structure and transformed via a reaction to UV light into nitrates, which are then eliminated by the cementitious matrix of the coating.

Both TX Millennium products will be shipped from Essroc's Front Royal, Va. blending facility by truck and in bulk bags, and will be available in white or gray compositions.