Polyurethane-carbon microfiber composite coating for electrical heating of concrete pavement surfaces

Abstract

Electrically-heated pavements have attracted attention as alternatives to the traditional ice/snow removal practices. Electrically conductive polymer-carbon composite coatings provide promising properties for this application. Based on the concept of joule heating, the conductive composite can be utilized as a resistor that generates heat by electric current and increases the surface temperature to melt the ice and snow on the pavement surface. This research investigates the feasibility of applying an electrically conductive composite coating made with a Polyurethane (PU) binder and micrometer-scale carbon fiber (CMF) filler as the electrical heating materials on the surface of Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements. PU-CMF composite coatings were prepared using different volume fractions of CMF, applied on the PCC surfaces, and evaluated in terms of volume conductivity, resistive heating ability, durability, and surface friction properties at the proof-of-concept level. A conceptual cost analysis was performed to compare this method with other heated pavement systems with respect to economic viability. Percolative behavior of CMF in PU matrix was captured and most desirable CMF dosage rates in terms of each performance parameter were investigated. Two percolation transition zones were identified for CMF in PU matrix at dosage rate ranges of 0.25–1% and 4–10%. The composites exhibited their most desirable performance and properties at CMF dosage rates greater than 10% and smaller than 15%.

Properties of Mortar with Recycled Aggregates, and Polyacrylonitrile Microfibers Synthesized by Electrospinning

“…So, it is not possible to incorporate them into the cement mortar, which is why a separation and cutting process through a homogenization process is needed. In Figure 2e,f, the cut and separated microfibers can be observed where no change in the microfiber shape is watched, but they are no longer continuous microfibers, now they are shorter (approximate sizes of 15–30 µm), comparable to some studies reported in literature, where microfibers within micrometer scale length are used in cementitious materials [59]. These results confirm that the homogenization process is useful for the separation and cutting of electro-spun microfibers.…”

Self-Sensing Cementitious Composites: Review and Perspective

“…Similar conclusions were drawn in the research study performed by Sassani et al [ 107 ], who also identified that the addition of a calcium nitrite-based corrosion inhibitor admixture as a conductivity-enhancing agent (CEA) enhanced electrical conductivity and compressive strength and was particularly effective for samples with low fiber content. In another research conducted by Sassani et al [ 108 ], the authors investigated the feasibility of using polyurethane-carbon-microfiber (PU-CMF) composite coating for heating pavement in terms of durability, surface friction and volume conductivity. The authors found that the composite coating has great potential in the heat pavement system application; however, the only limitation was the construction cost, which can be reduced through detailed future studies.…”

“…However, less research studies have been performed in this area. Two different approaches were used for the realization of heated pavement systems (HPS): electrically conductive coating (ECOT) and electrically conductive Portland cement concrete made of self-sensing material [ 9 , 107 , 108 ]. Lastly, the researchers monitored structural health with a variety of methods, including filler dispersion, composite rods and textile sensors [ 15 , 22 , 29 , 41 , 74 , 75 , 85 , 109 ].…”

Microwave Induction Heating of Polymer-Modified Asphalt Materials for Self-Healing and Deicing

“…In composite and heterogeneous materials, such as asphalt and Portland cement concretes, electrical conductivity varies throughout the material's volume, and there are even nonconductive zones within the material. The electric current flows through heterogeneous, polymer-based, or cementitious electrically conductive composites in separate paths with varying current magnitudes creating different Joule heating zones [50][51][52]. Considering that part of the microwave-induced heat is conducted to the material's surface, and this amount of heat is proportional to the total amount of heat generated, it is possible to evaluate the heating efficiency from the surface temperature using an infrared imaging system.…”