The current invention is a novel addition to the field and comprises a self-sensing high performance fiber reinforced Geopolymer composite (HPFR-GPC) with self-sensing ability. In one or more embodiment, the self-sensing abilities are created by the addition of high performance fibers into a Geopolymer composites. The HPFR-GPC exhibits smart, high performance, energy efficient, and sustainability characteristics including: enhanced tensile ductility, toughness, and strain hardening (including crack width control); improved piezoresistive effects; utilization of industrial by-product; high resistance to acid attacks; and lightweight, low density. When compared to current available embedded or attachable sensors, the current invention offers lower cost, higher durability, and a larger sensing volume.

An electric heating type support includes: an electrically conductive honeycomb structure including a pillar shaped honeycomb structure portion composed of conductive ceramics, the pillar shaped honeycomb structure portion including: an outer peripheral wall; and porous partition walls disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the porous partition walls defining a plurality of cells, each cell penetrating from one end face to other end face to form a flow path; and a pair of metal terminals disposed so as to face each other across a central axis of the pillar shaped honeycomb structure portion, each metal terminal being joined to a surface of the electrically conductive honeycomb structure via a welded portion so as to follow a surface shape of the electrically conductive honeycomb structure.

An electric heating support includes an electrically conductive honeycomb structure having an outer peripheral wall and porous partition walls disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the porous partition walls defining a plurality of cells, each cell penetrating from one end face to other end face to form a flow path. A pair of metal terminals are disposed so as to face each other across a central axis of the honeycomb structure, each metal terminal being joined to a surface of the honeycomb structure via a welded portion. The honeycomb structure is composed of ceramics and a metal. The honeycomb structure contains 40% by volume or less of the metal. The welded portion of the honeycomb structure has a surface containing 40% by volume or more of the metal.

A conductive honeycomb structure, comprising: a columnar ceramic honeycomb structure portion comprising an outer peripheral side wall and partition walls each disposed inside the outer peripheral side wall and defining a plurality of cells penetrating from one bottom surface to another bottom surface to form flow paths; a pair of electrode layers disposed on an outer surface of the outer peripheral side wall across a central axis of the honeycomb structure portion; and a pair of metal terminals joined to the respective electrode layers via one or more welded portions, wherein each of the one or more welded portions comprises a welded area of from 2 to 50 mm.sup.2.

A magnetizable concrete wireless power transfer pad can include a base, an inductive coil and a pillar. The base can comprise a magnetizable base concrete including concrete and first magnetizable particles, the first magnetizable particles having a magnetic permeability and a magnetic saturation. The inductive coil can be positioned directly adjacent and centered over the base, the inductive coil forming an inductive coil gap at its center inner perimeter between a conductive wire that form the inductive coil, the inductive coil having an outer perimeter, a lateral width, and a longitudinal length. The pillar can extend up from the base through the inductive coil gap, the pillar comprising a magnetizable pillar concrete including concrete and second magnetizable particles, the second magnetizable particles having a magnetic permeability and a magnetic saturation such that the base and the pillar collectively shape an external magnetic field produced by the inductive coil to increase the mutual coupling with a receiver pad, that way increasing the power transfer capabilities of the system.

The first object of the invention is directed to a method for modulating the number of charge carriers p in Cu.sub.xCr.sub.yO.sub.2, the method comprising the steps of (a) depositing a film of Cu.sub.xCr.sub.yO.sub.2 on a substrate; and (b) annealing at a temperature T the film of deposited Cu.sub.xCr.sub.yO.sub.2, wherein the subscripts x and y are positive numbers whose the sum is equal or inferior to 2. The method is remarkable in that the log (p)= T.sup.2+ T+, wherein the temperature T is expressed degree Celsius, wherein is a first parameter ranging from 0.00011 to 0.009, wherein is a second parameter ranging from +0.12 to +0.14, and wherein is a third parameter ranging from 27.40 to 22.42. The second object of the invention is directed to a semiconductor comprising Cu.sub.xCr.sub.yO.sub.2 deposited on a substrate and obtainable by the method in accordance with the first object of the invention.

The present application relates to a concrete pre-mix composition comprising a cementitious material and a plurality of conductive carbon microfibers mixed with said cementitious material, where said conductive carbon microfibers are present in the concrete pre-mix composition in an amount such that, when said concrete pre-mix composition is hydrated to form concrete and cured, the conductive carbon microfibers are dispersed in the cured concrete in an amount of 0.75% to 2.00% of total mass of the concrete. The present application further relates to a concrete composition, a method of producing an electrically conductive concrete composition, an electrically conductive cured concrete form, and a system for heating pavement.

A method for creating multifunctional cementitious composites that provide load-bearing and self-sensing properties. The method involves dispersing conductive nanomaterials (e.g., multi-walled carbon nanotubes) into a polymer (e.g., latex) material from which a thin film is created and deposited (e.g., sprayed) onto aggregates, which after drying, can be incorporated with cementitious materials and desired liquids and cast, along with sufficient number of electrodes, into a form for curing. After curing, the resultant structure can be electrically tested through the electrodes, for structural characteristics, including determination of damage severity and location using back-calculation utilizing electrical resistance tomography (ERT), or electrical impedance tomography (EIT), to generate a spatial resistivity map (distribution).

Lightweight molding produced from a dry mixture including graphite particles and a binder for setting of the dry mixture by water, alkali and/or aqueous salt solution, where the proportion by mass of the graphite particles in the dry mixture is more than 0.05, the binder includes magnesia binder, cement, caustic calcined magnesite, lime and/or clay powder, the density of the lightweight molding is in the range from 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 to 3.5 g/cm.sup.3 and the lightweight molding has a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W/mK.

An electrical filter is disclosed. The electrical filter can include a conductive concrete structure including at least one of a conductive carbon material, a magnetic material, or a conductive metallic material. The conductive concrete structure is characterized by an electrical conductivity greater than 0.5 siemens per meter. The electrical filter also includes at least one electrical cable disposed within the conductive concrete structure. The at least one electrical cable includes an input to receive an electrical signal and an output to output an attenuated electrical signal.