Scientists Have Made A Salty Road That Never Ices Over

If you love your car, there’s nothing worse than driving in icy conditions. There’s that constant threat of black ice just waiting to deposit you in a hedge, while huge trucks roam the streets chucking car-destroying ice on the road. Thankfully, that could be a thing of the past thanks to some mighty clever scientists.

Researchers at Koc University in Turkey have been working on a new type of road material that is infused with salt that should stop ice forming at all. Currently, local authorities have to pre-empt ice forming on the road, deploying spreaders to throw salt on top of the surface. This can then be dispersed by traffic running over it or rainwater washing it away, nullifying its effect. The new system involves having deicing agents throughout the layers of asphalt, which release over a period of time. It could also improve the state of our highways and byways, as one of the biggest causes of cracks and potholes is water in the road freezing and expanding.

Scientists have embedded salt potassium formate into bitumen - one of the components of asphalt - as it is an environmentally friendly deicing material. They have also added a water-repelling polymer called styrene-butadiene-styrene, which should help stop water settling and further reduce the chances of ice forming on the road.

While driving in sub-zero conditions would certainly be safer with this material, the fact of the matter is that the underside of our cars will still be assaulted by corrosive salt. This is a great solution for everyday driving, but we’re still waiting on something that means we don’t have to garage our fun car during winter!

Source: Digital Trends