Researchers at Lancaster University in the UK have developed a cement mixture of fly ash waste and an alkaline solution, which is also electrically conductive. Existing smart cements are often dependent on graphene and carbon nanoparticles. Tube, but this new type of cement is different, it does not contain any expensive materials and its manufacturing cost is even lower than traditional Portland cement.
The project's chief executive, Mohamed Saafi, a professor of engineering at Lancaster University, said the mixture is called a KGP composite. Inside the mixture, current is passed through the potassium ions in the crystal structure. He claims: 'To make To cement, you must mix the fly ash with the alkaline solution. In this study we used potassium hydroxide and potassium silicate solution. When you mix them together, they form a kind Cement material, which contains potassium ions that can act as electrolytes. '
This mixture will eventually achieve a storage and release power of 200-500 W per square meter. Buildings with exterior walls and partitions using KGP materials can store electricity during the day with solar panels and be released at night. Using KGP The panels can also be reloaded into houses and other buildings. A six-meter-high lamppost with KGP material can store enough renewable energy for streetlights to illuminate at night, with a storage power of about 700W.
At the same time, curbstones can also supply electricity to sensors to monitor traffic, drainage and pollution levels. A large number of KGP material buildings can also be used to balance grid power, storing excess renewable energy when electricity is surplus, and Sayfi said: 'We are trying to convert buildings and bridges into batteries to reduce costs. Currently we have a lot of renewable energy, but we don't have these energy. Large-scale storage system. '
This smart cement mixture can also be used to sense mechanical stresses in buildings. For example, pressure changes induced by cracks can change the movement of potassium ions in the crystal structure of the cement, resulting in changes in the electrical conductivity of the material. Conductivity, changes in building stability enable real-time automatic measurements without the need to install additional sensors.
Researchers are now investigating further efforts to optimize the performance of KGP blends, and are also investigating the possibility of using 3D printing technology to shape this smart cement into different shapes. This research has been funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 project. This is part of the SAFERUP (abbreviation for sustainable, easy-to-use, safe, resilient and smart urban roads) project at the University of Bologna.
