Cement (and derivatives thereof) is one of the materials most commonly used in construction. A PhD student Idurre Kaltzakorta at Tecnalia’s Construction Unit (in Spain) studied the possibility of adding capacities to the cement such as self-repair of cracks as well as storing latent heat energy. Kaltzakorta created silica microcapsules with organic material inside, the idea being to provide the cement with new functions. She opted for two types of organic materials, each corresponding to one of the two added features mentioned above. Thus, on the one hand, the microcapsules were filled with various epoxy resins (used in the manufacture… Login to continue

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