Roads from the coffee grounds - a new environmental solution
Last reviewed: 16.05.2018
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Coffee is one of Melbourne's favorite drinks, but in the near future this fragrant drink can turn into a road. At the Australian State University, a team of specialists used coffee wastes to create ecological roads that are highly durable.
The head of the scientific project Arul Arulrajah is sure that various materials, such as glass, bricks, etc., can be reused. Professor Arulrajah noted that after he saw that the remains of coffee were being sent to the garbage, he had the idea to apply the thick as technical material. After that, Arulradjah and his colleagues collected coffee waste from all cafes adjacent to the university and dried it for several days in the oven at a temperature of 50 0 C, after that the thick was passed through filters to get rid of the lumps and mixed with the slag.
To connect all the components, the scientists added an alkaline solution and placed under a press where blocks of cylindrical shape were formed. Tests of the blocks obtained in this way showed that they are quite strong and can be used as a ground material.
According to experts from the Australian University of Australia, if they are allowed to do anything with the city's waste of coffee, an ecologically clean road surface may soon appear. According to the researchers, one cafe a week leaves an average of 150 kg of coffee grounds, waste per year would be enough to make 5 km of the road. Also, the researchers noted that the road from the coffee grounds would help reduce the amount of garbage.
The need to address a number of environmental problems that arise in the production of coffee has led to the emergence of a number of creative ideas for the use of coffee grounds, for example, the production of biological fuels, carbon dioxide capture, 3D printing, etc. Also, coffee grounds are actively used in the production of clothing, in particular, about 7 years ago, a collection of sportswear was produced using coffee beans and grounds. Last year, a coffee-collection of men's and women's jeans was issued, the cost of which ranged from $ 50 to $ 55. The head of the American Eagle trade brand, Helen Kahn, noted that the coffee grounds absorbs bad odors and dries quickly, jeans created on its basis can be washed much less often. Manufacturers do not specify a specific period, after which the jeans should be sent to the washing machine, and recommend to focus on your own feelings.
According to Helen Kahn, "coffee" jeans can be worn until a person feels the need to wash them. In addition to reducing costs and time for washing, these jeans protect their owner from ultraviolet rays - due to the microscopic structure of the thick, it effectively reflects the UV rays and protects the skin reliably. The only drawback of "coffee" jeans is that they are deprived of the characteristic smell of coffee, which, of course, will upset the coffeemakers.
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