New concrete heals itself in 24 hours by consuming carbon dioxide

Tiny cracks that form in concrete may not pose an immediate problem to

structural integrity of the structure.But as water penetrates into the gaps, the strength of the structure decreases significantly. The idea behind self-healing concrete is to intervene in this process while the cracks are still tiny. The new technology seals the material to prevent not only catastrophic collapse, but also costly maintenance or complete replacement of concrete structures.

To solve the problem, scientists were inspired by the workhuman body; namely by the work of an enzyme in red blood cells called carbonic anhydrase. It is able to rapidly transfer CO₂ from cells to the bloodstream.

The team added the enzyme to the concrete powder beforemixing and pouring material. The experiment showed that when a small crack forms in concrete, carbonic anhydrase interacts with CO₂ in the air. As a result, calcium carbonate crystals are formed, which mimic the characteristics of concrete and quickly fill the crack in the structure.

In tests, scientists have demonstrated that their alloyed concrete repairs millimeter-sized cracks in 24 hours.

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