A researcher from Mexico's Michoacan's University of San Nicolas Hidalgo (MSNH) has created a solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark cement that could likely last up to 100 years. The material absorbs solar energy and returns it to the environment as light, making it an ideal technology to light roads, highways or bicycle lanes without using electricity.
"Nine years ago, when I started the project, I realized there was nothing similar worldwide, and so I started to work on it," said José Rubio, who is behind the unique project. "The main issue was that cement is an opaque body that doesn't allow the pass of light to its interior."
Standard cement is a dust that, when added to water, dissolves as an effervescent pill and begins to form into a gel. At the same time, the formation of crystal flakes occurs, which are undesirable by-products of the procedure.
Rubio focused on modifying the micro-structure of cement in order to eliminate the formation of crystals and allow it to form into a complete gel, increasing its ability to absorb solar energy and return it to the environment as light.
The product will absorb solar energy from the morning and throughout the day, and when nighttime hits, it will have accumulated enough energy to emit it back into the night for approximately 12 hours.
Most fluorescent materials are made from plastic and have a lifespan of around three years due to the fact that they decay with ultraviolet (UV) rays. However, the new cement is sun resistant, and Rubio claims that its lifespan is around 100 years.
"Due to this patent (the first one for this university), others have surfaced worldwide," he said. "In the UK, we received recognition from the Newton fund, given by the Royal Engineering Academy of London, which chooses global success cases in technology and entrepreneurship."
Rubio is currently in the process of commercializing the solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark cement product and hopes to integrate it into plaster and other construction products.
The idea of glow-in-the-dark roads is not completely new - back in November 2014, designer Daan Roosegaarde and Dutch company Heijmans created a glow-in-the-dark bike path inspired by the artwork of Vincent van Gogh.
