Alchemy, a contested medieval practice often noted for the transformation of common metals into gold, is one of the last influences you would expect to see in the world of engineering. But researchers from the Department of Energy and Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute/SPring-8 are using it to transform cement into metal.

Although not technically alchemy, the team did use liquid cement to transmogrify into a glass-metal hybrid. They did this by using an aerodynamic levitator with laser beam heat to melt mayenite, a calcium aluminum oxide mineral. The hybrid material could possibly be used to create a glass semiconductor for use in your television, computer or other commonly-used devices.

“This new material has lots of applications, including thin-film resistors used in liquid-crystal displays, basically the flat panel computer monitor that you are probably reading this from at the moment,” said Chris Benmore, a physicist from the U.S. Department of Energy. Who knew such archaic concepts (the conversion of common materials into those more desirable) would be used in contemporary technology?

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Ordinary concrete is a rather lifeless material that doesn’t exactly bring to mind lush gardens. But a “biological concrete” building material being developed by a team at the Structural Technology Group, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona is set to change that perception. Unlike traditional concrete, this stuff actually encourages the growth of moss, fungi, lichens and other simple organisms.

The biological concrete is actually a triple layer system including a waterproof layer that protects the building, a middle water-retaining layer, and a top layer of concrete made with quick-setting magnesium phosphate cement. This top layer allows water in, but does not let it escape. It’s the top layer that is key to the biological component of this concrete: it provides the perfect environment for mosses and the like.

The mosses and other organisms should take hold on the concrete within a year. As the plants grow and change, the appearance of the concrete panels subtly shifts. The biological components reduce CO2 and provide a small amount of natural insulation. Unlike other vertical gardens or green walls, the biological concrete doesn’t require any complicated equipment or special care. As an added bonus, it discourages harmful plants, such as climbing ivy, from taking hold on the exterior walls of buildings.

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The reinvention of concrete seems to be a goal for architects and material scientists alike. The light transmitting concrete from Hungarian architect Aron Losoncziwas the first example we saw, but now Italian company Italcementi Group has created their own version of translucent cement that combines the best qualities of cement walls and transparent windows.

The material, called i.light, was created specifically for the Italian pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. The walls of the pavilion felt solid and looked solid from an angle, but when viewed straight-on they looked rather like windows that were able to let in light.

Italcementi’s creation was made with a proprietary mixture of cement and admixtures that bonds with a thermoplastic polymer resin. The resin is injected into tiny holes that span the width of each cement panel, resulting in approximately 20 percent transparency. The transparency can be changed by modifying the amount of resin in the panels.

Previous transparent cement creations involved using fiber optic cables to transmit light, which is an effective method but very expensive. The method used to produce i.light is much less expensive and lets in natural light from more angles. It is not yet available commercially, having been developed just for the World Expo.

The post See the Light: Transparent Concrete = Naturally Lit Buildings first appeared on Gajitz.