Inexpensive Anti-Icing Concrete Material for Application to Tunnel and Slope Engineering Infrastructures in Cold Regions

• Main Authors: Zihan Zhou (4184407), Yanjun Shen (389969), Jianshuai Hao (11631631), Zhipeng Bai (6489494), Yuting Liu (270221), Haibo Kou (11631634)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Pharmacology; Biotechnology; Evolutionary Biology; Ecology; Developmental Biology; Plant Biology; Space Science; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified; novel fractal theory; 151 °; sa; 06 mpa ); exhibits excellent superhydrophobicity; excellent mechanical properties; sloped rock masses; nanostructure easily deices; environmentally friendly anti; current advanced anti; slope engineering infrastructures; good application prospects; concrete tunnel linings; icing concrete material; slope engineering; good anti; excellent long; rock substrates; icing material; easily fabricated; area concrete; widespread application; water resistance; term durability; temperature environments; sprayed onto; inexpensive anti; important guide; icing materials; ice hangings; highway traffic; easy deicing; deicing stress; cost requirements; composite micro; cold regions; chemical durability; based model; Long Rock
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c14046.s010

The formation of ice hangings on the surfaces of concrete tunnel linings and sloped rock masses in cold regions endangers railroad and highway traffic. However, an inexpensive anti-icing material that meets both performance and cost requirements has not yet been developed for application in tunnel and slope engineering infrastructures in cold regions. Most current advanced anti-icing materials are expensive, and fabrication and spraying are both cumbersome, which limits their widespread application to tunnel and slope engineering. Because concrete is a widely used construction material owing to its excellent mechanical properties and low cost, we developed an inexpensive, environmentally friendly anti-icing concrete material (AICM). The AICM can be easily fabricated and sprayed onto the surfaces of large-area concrete or rock substrates and exhibits excellent superhydrophobicity (CA: 151°, SA: 6.7°), surface robustness, water resistance, chemical durability, good anti-icing, easy deicing (deicing stress: 0.06 MPa), and excellent long-term durability in freeze–thaw cycles in low-temperature environments. In addition, a novel fractal theory-based model of ice adhesion shear stress was developed and revealed the mechanism through which an AICM with a composite micro/nanostructure easily deices. The AICM has good application prospects and serves as an important guide for mitigating the formation of ice hangings in tunnel and slope engineering infrastructures in cold regions.