As the planet continues to warm because of the changing climate, it is crucial to find ways to keep buildings cool that also minimize the impact on the environment. A team of researchers in China has made a breakthrough that could revolutionize the construction industry — and help keep us cool as temperatures rise around us — in the form of self-cooling cement.
According to Interesting Engineering, Southeast University scientists have developed cement that scatters sunlight rather than absorbs it, allowing it to stay cool as the day heats up. This “supercool cement” was effective at more than simply cooling; its intrinsic high strength held up to corrosive liquids, freeze-thaw cycles, and ultraviolet radiation.
In addition, testing indicated it has the potential to achieve a net-negative carbon pollution profile, meaning that it draws more carbon into itself than it creates. It achieves a temperature drop of 9.7 degrees Fahrenheit at midday and is suitable for use both as a structural material in buildings and as a radiative cooler.
Concrete is the most-consumed product on Earth other than water, and the concrete industry generates 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Advancements in the industry are critical for a cleaner — and cooler — future for all.
According to research presented in Science Advances, the team attained its results by adjusting the chemical composition of the clinker, a material used to create cement, allowing it to scatter sunlight rather than absorb it like traditional cement.
As temperatures rise, and more and more of the world is grappling with longer, stronger heat waves, keeping people cool and safe is one of the biggest problems we face. Traditional HVAC systems are often not environmentally friendly, using chemicals to cool the air in closed-loop systems.
They can also be expensive to install and maintain, making them tough to afford for vast swathes of the global population. Other forms of ventilation may prove insufficient in the increasingly harsh heat, and without proper cooling, buildings can quickly become unlivable.
This scalable, cost-effective form of cement could very well be the answer. Researchers heralded its “unparalleled advantages” as a construction material and its net-negative carbon pollution profile as major boons in the fight against rising global temperatures, per Interesting Engineering.
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