Oct-21-17
A technology inspired by MasterChef could open the door to self-healing road surfaces.
The technique involves using spherification (the controlled jellification of liquid to form spheres), which Dr. Alvaro Garcia of Nottingham University saw on a Spanish version of MasterChef. Thus inspired, Garcia developed microcapsules made up of sunflower oil, which is known to reduce the viscosity of bitumen and reverse the effects of aging in asphalt.
Called, CapHeal, the capsules can be added to asphalt, where they will break open automatically if the road is damaged, releasing the sunflower oil and triggering the asphalt to ‘self-heal.’ The capsules can be used in precise areas prone to damage, and do not require an external mechanism to activate.
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