National proud! Thanks to a young Mexican, potholes could be gone forever. Israel Antonio Brisenostudent of the Autonomous University of Coahuila, created an anti-pothole pavement, which is capable of regenerating itself with water and, in addition, is made with reused tires. Know your story!
The invention was named after Paflec, which means self-healing rubber flooring. It consists of a material that, when in contact with water, produces a chemical reaction that generates self-maintenance. The mixture can be placed on the cracks and potholes so that they are automatically filled, for example, with the rain.
“It is a powder, an additive, that is added and mixed into the asphalt to prevent potholes. It has the ability to absorb water and regenerate cracks. Thanks to that, it can make the pavement have more years of useful life, ”he explained in statements collected by The Sun of the Lagoon.
The young man explains that when normal concrete gets wet it creates a fault, and it collapses when cars pass by. “The asphalt layer is spoiled by water. So, that’s where I was inspired, I turned the biggest degradation agent into a recovery agent”, he detailed.
It is worth mentioning that, although self-healing pavements already existed before Paflec, the Mexican inventor’s is different. This is because it is made from recycled tire rubber, so it is also a way to treat this waste.
This is how Paflec was born, the Mexican pothole-proof pavement
Briseño, now 25, began developing Panflec in 2017, when he was Civil engineering student on the Autonomous University of Coahuila (UAdeC).
“Originally the project was my thesis, but I saw that it had the potential to help many people and I decided to undertake it”commented.
For this reason, he recommends that other young people be encouraged to launch the projects that they are passionate about. “First, they have to find something they like and, second, solve a problem. It is not necessary to fulfill the dream of others, but that of oneself”.
Thanks to his revolutionary product, the young Mexican won first place in the award James Dyson Mexico 29. It is an international competition whose mission is to encourage young engineers to create innovative products that solve common problems. He was also recognized for Salinas Group What ‘Citizen of the Year’ in 2021, because of his ingenuity, creativity, and what he could bring to the community.
Its anti-pothole pavement has been patented since 2018 and has already been tested in the laboratories of the Mexican Association of Asphalt AC (AMAAC). It has passed tests at levels 1, 2 and 4, which are the highest standards for asphalts.
It is currently being tested in two Mexican cities: Francisco I. Madero, Coahuila, and Camargo, Chihuahua, in coordination with the City Councils of both municipalities. The purpose, in the short or medium term, is to implement it to eliminate potholes and other defects in the asphalt layer.
What follows for the Mexican innovator is to certify his creation in the National Agency for Standardization and Certification of Construction and Building, as well as present it to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation so that they determine how they will use this material.
Editorial Team The editorial team of EMPRENDEDOR.com, which for more than 27 years has worked to promote entrepreneurship.