Could the carrot be the secret for stronger concrete?
Author
Message
RR Phantom
Location : Wasted Space Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
Subject: Could the carrot be the secret for stronger concrete? Wed Jun 20, 2018 6:26 pm
The future of construction isn’t all 3D printed homes and robot bricklayers. Like Popeye and his spinach, maybe the secret ingredient we need to build a better concrete is the humble carrot.
Engineers from Lancaster University have teamed up with dynamic material company Cellucomp to research how adding ‘nanoplatelets’ taken from root vegetables can make concrete mixtures stronger – and help the environment too.
Nanoplatelets are tiny structures comprised of a layer of stiff fibres – in this case made of plant cellulose. They are derived from the aforementioned carrots and sugar beets discarded from supermarkets, or from leftover waste from food-processing factories.