Chinese researchers from Hebei University of Science and Technology have developed a anti-icing bitumen. This modified asphalt allows you to maintain roads without winter maintenance (no salt, no snow removal) until minus 20 degrees!

Bitumen that does not freeze even at -20 degrees

When temperatures drop in winter, road conditions can deteriorate. But a solution provided by a Chinese research team in Shijiazhuang should now solve this problem.

as? Thanks to the new specific coating for roads With this bitumen road salt not on the road, as usual, but directly mixed with the bitumen itself. A special acetate additive is injected directly into the tar.

These salts are less harmful than snow plows, which damage the road surface, or chloride salts that corrode cars that use them and damage surrounding vegetation and waterways. They are also more effective at low temperatures.

电影 下载 阿乙 电影时间 VIDEO: Chinese researchers have developed self-rubbing asphalt https://t.co/xBvDOeBleW pic.twitter.com/hZRfok7LJX

— Ki Chul, Hwang (@conpaper) February 27, 2023

Salt embedded in tar

This supplement consists of microcapsules filled with antifreeze. During the movement of the car, the polymer coating of the granules naturally breaks down over time, releasing salt into the asphalt.

When it snows and the microcapsules burst, they lower the freezing point of water. This tar was tested on the highway section between Beijing and Xi’an. It turned out to be treated cobblestones lowered the freezing point of water to -21°С and allowed to leave the road free of snow and ice.

How effective is this antifreeze bitumen over time?

The presence of anti-icing bitumen is an interesting achievement. But a question arises. How long can this non-freezing asphalt last? How will he behave years from now when all the capsules burst?

According to researchers’ calculations, the coverage of 5 centimeters thick must keep the road from snow for seven or eight years. In addition, this anti-icing asphalt will be more environmentally friendly than commonly used snow removal products because the agent contained in the capsules does not contain chlorides.

The sodium and chloride ions in regular road salt change the structure and composition of the soil and can cause damage if they penetrate it. Thus, anti-icing asphalt will be not only practical, but also more ecological than traditional methods!