Effectiveness of Bio-Waste-Derived Carbon Doping on De-Icing Performance of an Electrically Resistant Concrete

Abstract

This paper proposes a modified carbon-based concrete filler composition, which can potentially be used as a self-de-icing pavement. Carbon fibers (CNFs), graphene-like porous carbon (GLC), and a CNF/GLC composite were developed to reinforce concrete with the aim to improve its electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. The effect of the CNF and GLC loadings on the electrical conductivity of the filled concrete was evaluated in a climatic chamber at temperatures simulating water-freezing conditions on a concrete road. The results show that even a negligible loading (0.2 wt.%) of concrete with CNF/GLC results in a dramatic decrease in its resistance when compared to the same loadings for CNF and GLC added separately. Depending on the number of fillers, the temperature of the modified concrete samples reached up to +19.8 °C at low voltage (10 V) at −10 °C, demonstrating the perspective of their heat output for anti-icing applications. Additionally, this study shows that adding 2.0 wt.% of the CNF/GLC composite to the concrete improves its compressive strength by 33.93% compared to the unmodified concrete.