Photo: MIT EC³ Hub
A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a new form of concrete that functions like a battery. A blend of cement, water, ultra-fine carbon black, and electrolytes can form an “electron-conducting carbon concrete,” or ec3, that builds a conductive nanonetwork within the concrete itself, allowing it to store and release electricity. Researchers built a small arch from ec3 that powered an LED light with nine volts of electricity while holding its own structural weight. The light dimmed and flickered under stress, indicating that the material could one day warn us when buildings need repair. The team is still refining the material’s performance, scalability, and energy density, but the potential is enormous. Buildings, roads, and bridges could someday become energy storage devices, playing a role in reducing emissions and creating more resilient, self-powered infrastructure.
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