Home / Features / 3M™ Smog Reducing Granules

Smog-reducing granules help clean the air of emission pollutants.

The First Smog-Reducing Shingle

Air quality is a concern for us all, which is why we created the industry’s first smog-reducing shingle, using 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules – TIME Magazine’s Top 50 Inventions of 2018.

Shingles Built To Do More... And Less.

What is Smog?

Smog exists where emissions exist, even if you don’t always see it.

Smog is a form of air pollution resulting from the interaction of UV sunlight with chemicals in the atmosphere like nitrogen oxides that get into the air primarily from the burning of fuel (ex. vehicle emissions).

As a gas, smog is easily inhaled, making it extremely hazardous to humans and animals, and can lead to severe health risks including lung tissue damage, bronchial infections, and heart problems.

Smog-Reducing Shingle Flyer

Malarkey and 3M Working Together for Cleaner Air

There's More Than One Way to Plant a Tree

Trees are nature’s air filters. They clean particulates out of the air and absorb pollutant gases like nitrogen oxides (NO_x) by trapping them on leaves and bark.

All Malarkey shingles include 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules. By integrating these granules, Malarkey shingles help actively reduce emission-based air pollution equivalent to planting ~2 trees per roof.*

* Approximation assuming standard roof of 30 squares. Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and 3M.

How it Works

Sunlight interacts with granules to convert smog into water-soluble ions.

All Malarkey shingles include 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules. These granules, which blend inconspicuously into the shingle’s color, contain a photocatalytic coating which, when activated by the UV rays of the sun, creates the energy needed to break-apart airborne water molecules (like from humidity) into their component parts (i.e., H₂0 breaks into H and OH).

The newly formed OH molecule, called a hydroxyl radical, seeks to bind with other molecules. When a smog-molecule gets near the roof, the OH molecule binds with it, chemically transforming it from a dangerous, inhalable gas (NO₂) into a water-soluble nitrate salt solid (NO₃), a plant usable form of nitrogen that washes away with rainwater as a mild fertilizer.

Key Features

Raw Base Mineral

Dense, non-porous, mineral is the core of the granule, providing strength and long-lasting, weather-resistant durability.

Ceramic Coating

Colored, ceramic coating adds lasting color vibrancy, in an array of colors, and helps defend against hail, scuffing, and UV aging.

Adhesion Promotor

For granules to work, they need to stay on the shingle. 3M™ adds an adhesion promoter to each granule to enhance granule adhesion, while our NEX® rubberized asphalt technology allows for deeper granule embedment, both of which help reduce granule loss.

Malarkey shingles have up to 65% greater granule retention than the industry standard specification (ASTM D3462).

UV Coating

UV coating acts as sunscreen to help protect the shingle from premature aging from UV sunlight.

Photocatalytic Coating

Photocatalytic coating, when activated by the UV rays of the sun, creates the energy needed to break-apart airborne water molecules (like from humidity) into their component parts (i.e., H₂0 breaks into H and OH) that bind with smog molecules, transforming them from a dangerous gas to a water-soluble nitrate salt solid.

What Others Say

A Great Step Forward

“Along with planting more trees, we view smog-reducing technology, embedded into mainstream roofing materials, as a great step forward in addressing air quality.”

–Jonathan Parfrey, Executive Director, Climate Resolve

Environmental Stewardship

“Malarkey is one of our oldest partners, dating back over 30 years. We share a continuous drive towards innovation and environmental stewardship, which is why we’re super excited to incorporate our new smog-reducing technology into their sustainable shingle line.”

–Osama Younan, Division Chief - A Department of Building Safety

Building a Sustainable System

“Our aim is to build a closed-loop, sustainable system, creating products and practices that offset our environmental footprint and enable homeowners to offset theirs.”

–Greg Malarkey, CEO - Malarkey Roofing Products

The Test of Time

“Went with Malarkey Roofing Products Vista shingles because no one wants to redo this bruiser in 10 years. The homeowner wanted to use metal as a greener alternative with some longevity. We told them about all the great stuff Malarkey is doing with the recycle materials, smog-reducing granules, etc. and they were sold. Few things make me happier than installing products I know stand up to the test of time.”

–Kings Forest Construction - Saskatchewan

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