While no one is claiming this is the beginning of the end for the bone-shuddering pothole hell that is travelling on Outback roads, there are those who now dare to dream that a self-healing asphalt innovation may at least signal the end of the beginning.
A team of scientists from Swansea University and King’s College London, in collaboration with scientists in Chile, is using biomass waste to design a road surface that can mend its own cracks without the need for maintenance or human intervention.
Cracks form when bitumen – the sticky black material in the asphalt mixture – hardens through oxidisation, but the exact processes behind this are not entirely known.
Potholes might soon be able to fix themselves! PIC: Kam Pratt / Pexels
Swansea University says the team has found a way to reverse cracking and develop methods to ‘stitch’ asphalt back together, creating more durable and sustainable roads.
During the research, a type of AI known as machine learning was used to study organic molecules in complex fluids like bitumen. The team developed a new data-driven model to accelerate atomistic simulations, advancing research into bitumen oxidation and crack formation.
Jose Norambuena-Contreras, a researcher from Swansea University, with the ‘magic’ material PIC: Swansea University
To make the asphalt ‘self-healing’, the team incorporated tiny, porous materials known as spores, which are smaller than a strand of hair and produced by plants. These spores are filled with recycled oils, which are released when the asphalt begins to crack, helping to reverse the process.
In laboratory experiments, this advanced asphalt material was shown to completely heal a microcrack on its surface in less than an hour.
While still in development, the team’s research is said to have enormous potential to improve infrastructure and advance sustainability around the world.
Dr Francisco Martin-Martinez an expert in computational chemistry at King’s College London, said it was incredibly exciting.
“In our research, we want to mimic the healing properties observed in nature … for example, when a tree or animal is cut, their wounds naturally heal over time, using their own biology,” he said. “Creating asphalt that can heal itself will increase the durability of roads and reduce the need for people to fill in potholes.”
Dr Martin-Martinez also said using sustainable materials in the new asphalt, including biomass waste, would reduce dependence on petroleum and natural resources.
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