Unique green material with high mechanical strength
Russian scientists have proved the ability to create a coating for highways from … coconut. Using an exotic walnut shell, they have obtained a durable composite that can withstand a longer cycle time than existing coatings.
As MK was told at NUST MISiS, whose employees developed the technology together with colleagues from India and Thailand, the emphasis was placed on natural coconut shell fibers. They have high mechanical strength, are resistant to temperature extremes and corrosion.
Scientists have made a so-called green composite based on coconut fiber by combining plant fibers with a phenol-formaldehyde component (based on phenolic resin).
The composite was made by hand: the fibers together with formaldehyde were heated, placed in a heated mold, achieving a homogeneous mass. The future road surface was tested with the addition of 40 and 60 percent phenol formaldehyde to coconut. Next, the material was tested for tension, bending, impact strength, as well as measurements of the rate of water absorption of biodegradability.
Two types of fibers were also compared – ordinary, untreated and treated with a concentrated solution of caustic soda (the most common alkali). The second option turned out to be more elastic (by 45-60%) and 30-40% stronger in tension compared to the first sample.
The created composite is a good candidate not only for road pavement, but also for domestic and industrial applications, for example, for decorating air showrooms, railway cars as environmental wall and floor coverings.