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Incorporating a phase-change material into concrete, researchers have created a self-heating material that can melt snow and ice for up to 10 hours without using salt or shovels.
Incorporating a phase-change material into concrete, researchers have created a self-heating material that can melt snow and ice for up to 10 hours without using salt or shovels. The novel material could reduce the need for plowing and salting and help preserve the integrity of road surfaces.
In a new study, researchers from Drexel University in Pennsylvania, US, a known ‘cold state,’ present their self-heating concrete: a potential fix to snowed-over roads and the cost associated with clearing and maintaining them. “We have demonstrated that our self-heating concrete is capable of melting snow on its own, using only the environmental daytime thermal energy – and doing it without the help of salt, shoveling or heating systems,” Farnam said. They plan to continue collecting data to assess the slabs’ long-term effectiveness and study how incorporating phase-change materials may extend concrete's lifespan.
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