The emergence of multifunctional cement-based materials in the construction industry has the potential to shift the paradigm from strength-only performance to new functionalities enabled by electron-conducting capabilities in one of the most material- and energy-intensive industry sectors worldwide. These new capabilities range from the ability to generate heat through current flowing through a conductor, known as resistive heating or Joule effect, for radiant heating of slabs, walls, and pavements, to electromagnetic shielding and the storage of electric energy by using these materials as electrodes in structural capacitor elements in electrical energy storage (EES) systems.

In this webinar, we review recent developments at MIT of nanocarbon black doped cement-based composites (nCB). We start by addressing the trade-offs between strength and electron-conductivity enabled through fine-tuned dispersion of carbon black, based on an investigation of stiffness, strength, and fracture properties and electron-conductivity and Joule heating of nCB-cement pastes and mortars. We then show the first results of experiments that aim at scaling the electron-conducting capabilities from cement paste and mortars to concrete. Finally, we address the potential for the storage of electric energy by using these materials as electrodes in structural capacitor elements.

In summary, taken together, the presented development opens new venues for harvesting new functionalities of a classical commodity material such as concrete for existing and emerging green technology applications, ranging from radiant heating to energy storage. Given the global environmental impact of the production of cement-based materials, the development and implementation of such novel functionalities are expected to foster the sustainable development of both the construction sector and our built infrastructure at large.

This talk will be given jointly by Nancy Soliman, Asheesh Shukla, and Nicolas Chanut.