Solar-Powered, Glow-In-The-Dark Cement Could Light Up Our Roads

An amazing solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark road has been created by a scientist from Mexico's Michoacan's University of San Nicolas Hidalgo (MSNH). It can last for a century. Its material absorbs solar energy and sends it back to the environment as light, which can light roads, highways or bicycle lanes without the use of electricity.

"Nine years ago, when I started the project, I realized there was nothing similar worldwide, and so I started to work on it," said José Rubio, who is behind the unique project. "The main issue was that cement is an opaque body that doesn't allow the pass of light to its interior."

Standard cement dust can dissolve like an effervescent pill and convert into a gel. However, some crystal flakes may also be formed as undesirable by-products.

Rubio modified  on the microstructure of cement, eliminating the formation of crystals and enabling it to become a complete gel so that it can absorb solar energy and send it back to the environment as light.

The road can absorb solar energy throughout the day and send back the accumulated solar energy in the night for about 12 hours.

Being sun resistant, the road can last up to 100 years.

"Due to this patent (the first one for this university), others have surfaced worldwide," he said. "In the UK, we received recognition from the Newton fund, given by the Royal Engineering Academy of London, which chooses global success cases in technology and entrepreneurship."

The cement product is being explored for commercialisation. Rubio is looking into the possibility of integrating it into plaster and related construction products.