Sunflower oil helps the road surface to

Sunflower oil is expected to become a "remedy" for cracks on the road in the UK, preventing the formation of potholes and elephant drives that make it difficult for traffic.

The Daily Mail (UK) said the method is currently being tested on highways in the UK based on the discovery that sunflower oil added to asphalt will help the road surface to form self-healing ability.

Every year the UK has to spend 88 million pounds to fill the elephant and potholes on the road. Therefore, sunflower oil is considered a suitable cost measure when it costs about 1.15 pounds / liter.

Potholes, drive elephants are "crazy" for vehicles on the road.(Photo: Daily Mail).

The sun causes the road surface to expand, then at night the lower temperature causes them to shrink. Next, the pressure from the circulation means that the road surface generates cracks and cracks when it comes to rain, or snow and then forms the elephant and potholes.

Condensed bitumen asphalt, a sticky black material often used in road surfaces, can fill cracks, but the healing process usually takes 2 to 3 days, forced to block the road.

Meanwhile, using sunflower oil takes only 4 hours. Sunflower oil helps make bitumen thickened and become more diffused. In addition, even if there is traffic on the road, this process is not obstructed.

Engineers at the University of Nottingham (UK) said sunflower oil did not make the road surface slippery or reduce durability but instead facilitated self-healing asphalt.

Dr. Alvaro Garcia of the University of Nottingham's Technical Department stated: 'You can use any oil and get the same effect, from motor oil to recycled cooking oil.'

'This solution facilitates the road to "heal" a crack of about half a millimeter in size within a few hours, which is not possible for bitumen solid asphalt. We are extremely excited with this self-healing characteristic and we can see that the future will not have a pothole and no road maintenance , 'said Alvaro Garcia.

Mr. Garcia realized the special benefit of sunflower oil after watching the reality show Masterchef. Mr. Garcia realized that this oil could 'wriggle' into a special structure like fish eggs.

Since then, Garcia has created sunflower oil capsules of 2.9 millimeters in size with an outer shell composed of emulsifiers and calcium.

Every year, the UK spends more than 88 million pounds to fill the elephants and potholes.(Photo: Daily Mail).

These capsules can 'hide' in the pavement for many years and only break when the pressure causes the crack to form. Scientists also claim that sunflower oil supports " concrete " cementing can increase the 'life expectancy' of the pavement for another 12 to 16 years.

The Highways England company of the British government plans to add 18.5 liters of sunflower oil to 5 tons of asphalt concrete stretching 4.5 meters. If tested successfully, this method will be applied on the road system in the UK within the next 5 years.

However, it is still disturbing that the restoration of the entire road system in the UK may require 82,000 tons of sunflower oil.