A new path to self-powered infrastructure with thermoelectric cement

Heat is everywhere around us. In the engines of our cars, in the processors of our computers, in our industrial pipes. And most of it is simply wasted, lost to the environment. Thermoelectrics have long promised to capture this wasted energy, but they have always been held back by a fundamental dilemma: How to conduct electricity without also conducting heat? Now, a team led by Fabian Garmroudi of Los Alamos National Laboratory has found a surpr…

A new path to self-powered infrastructure with thermoelectric cement

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 15, 2025 A team led by Professor Zhou Yang at Southeast University has developed a groundbreaking cement-based material that could revolutionize energy systems in smart infrastructure. Inspired by the internal structure of plant stems, the researchers designed a bio-mimetic thermoelectric cement capable of converting temperature differences into electrical power while maintaining strength and durability.