Imagine if you could hang pictures, lights or objects on your walls by simply pressing them against the surface, allowing the magnets to cling. You wouldn’t need a drill, you wouldn’t need to drill into the drywall, or do any extra work to locate the studs. This could become a reality thanks to a new type of concrete. Called Ironplac, it is a ferromagnetic material that allows magnets to stay firmly on a wall or surface without screws, nails or traditional fasteners. What’s most interesting is that the material is not an active magnet and does not use electromagnetics, so it will not attract metal randomly.
The cement contains unique minerals and ferrous fillers that give the wall magnetic properties strong enough to hold magnets in place when pressed against it. The material reacts to magnets rather than emitting its own magnetic field. This is an essential point because otherwise the wall and materials function normally. Concrete as a building material is simple enough as it is. If you’ve ever wondered what’s inside concrete, it’s just four ingredients; cement, sand, water and gravel. Ironplac would introduce some extras.
However, Ironplac isn’t ready for prime time. The 29-year-old inventor Marco Agustín Secchi and his supporters still have much to discover. It’s unclear how it will perform in commercial and real-world settings, but it is in the prototyping stage. For example, how much total weight can it support and for how long? Could you mount a TV, or would that be too heavy? Additionally, are the properties consistent and reliable when used in a construct? What would be the cost of incorporating this material, and do these costs justify its use over conventional options?
This is not the first time that concrete and magnetic materials have been proposed
Researchers have been working on this idea for a while, which means we’ve always thought about the concept of magnetized or treated concrete and building materials. In a paper published in Results In Engineering, researchers from the University of Guilan and the University of Adelaide examined this possibility. Working with cement-like composites, infused with sand and magnetic powders, they explored the capabilities of wireless energy transfer and magnetic sensing. The biggest difference, of course, is that the document focused more on commercial and infrastructure applications, such as uses that could improve public roads, electrical installations, utilities, etc.
Ironplac, assuming the early stages go well, could revolutionize private development beyond commercial applications, which would mean it could affect us all. Used in apartments, condos or traditional homes, it would almost eliminate the need for hanging items or even decorating using more traditional means. You can apply whatever you want to the walls with the right magnetized mounts.
Beyond magnetic properties, researchers are constantly working to improve the functionality of cement in various ways. Scientists have proposed ecological alternatives to reduce one’s carbon footprint, foldable and self-healing mixtures, and even ultra-resistant alternatives based on fungi and bacteria.
