[M6] Towards the “road of the future” thanks to smart coatings?
New types of Smart Coatings reduce noise pollution or improve safety by using LuminoKrom luminescent paint on the roads.
A revolution is underway on French roads thanks to intelligent coatings. Reduce the heat, reduce noise in the city center or even capture natural light ... These are the benefits of new types of coatings.
Many municipalities are interested in this innovation. Heat and noise are two nuisances that the city of Paris seeks to mitigate. Thus experimentations take place in certain streets of the capital. Thanks to these new coatings, the expected gain in three years is -2 degrees in heat, and -3 decibels.
In Montauban, several roads have been covered with asphalt to limit noise. "It's a duller sound. We always hear the sound of engines and two-wheelers, but it relieves, "says a resident on M6.
LuminoKrom, innovative luminescent signage
But the road of the future can also be conceived around an innovative signage. "If you look at nature, there are fish that emit light. We have been able to master this property. The pigments that are used in our painting capture the light during the day and restore it at night," explains Jean-François Létard, the president of OliKrom, a company specializing in intelligent pigments.
IIn Pessac, a cycle path has been covered with this white paint which becomes phosphorescent when night falls. This photoluminescent cycle path is a world first. LuminoKrom® luminescent paint contributes to the emergence of tomorrow’s infrastructures which must be safer, more economical and more eco-responsible. This innovation has been labeled by the “Route du Futur” program of ADEME
LuminoKrom® marking exploits the natural phenomenon of photoluminescence. This physical process allows the paint to recharge indefinitely in daylight or artificial lighting without any fatigue. LuminoKrom® innovation lies in having developed photoluminescent markings that are very resistant outdoors and capable of storing the surrounding light to emit a diffuse luminosity at night, visible for more than 10 hours.