Roads always seem to be in need of repair, but changing up the recipe could help them last longer. Researchers in Australia have now shown y
Roads always seem to be in need of repair, but changing up the recipe could help them last longer. Researchers in Australia have now shown yet another advantage of adding rubber from old tires to asphalt – extra Sun protection that could help roads last up to twice as long before cracking.
Anyone who’s ever touched a road on a hot day knows that those things hold heat. And despite being out in the elements all day, every day, nothing is added to protect them against Sun damage, leading to the cracks and potholes every driver is familiar with.
In a new study, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have found an environmentally friendly way to shore up roads against the onslaught of the Sun’s rays. The key is to add crumb rubber, a form of ground-up material made from waste rubber products like old tires. It’s already shown promise in making concrete stronger and more heat resistant, and the researchers wondered whether it could protect asphalt from UV light degradation.
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That's great! Who knew we'd be able to extend the length of time tyres can produce microplastics. No more will we have to resort to burning tyres to breathe them in when we can do it directly from tyre to lung. Of course a lot more will end up in the oceans which is great because there are not enough microplastics in there already and we get to eat them when we eat seafood. Those microplastics will also leach 6PPD-quinone, a chemical used to protect tyres from UV radiation. Even in small quantities it kills salmon migrating upstream to spawn.
No roads are the only environmentally friendly roads.