Salt-Embedded Road Won't Let Ice Form

Dec-18-15 A new asphalt material embedded with salt could eliminate the need to spread salt on road to encourage melting—saving money and reducing waste.

A team from Turkey’s Koc University created the material by combining salt potassium format with a polymer known as styrene-butadiene-styrene (which is hydrophilic). This combination was then mixed with bitumen—a main component of asphalt—resulting in a material as rugged as asphalt.

In lab tests, the material released the salt for about two months. However, the team believes the salt releasing capacities could be extended on real road conditions, since the top layer of the asphalt is continuously worn away by cars, exposing more salt material beneath.

Image: A new road material (right) delays the formation of ice compared to conventional materials (left)

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[ACS.ORG]

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