A construction material mixture contains a dry mass of 10 to 98 wt. % carbon and 2 to 70 wt. % binding agent. The construction material mixture further comprises 1 to 80 wt. % loose particles, wherein the surface of the loose particles is at least partially coated with an electrically conductive material.

A continuous operation method is employed for the microwave high-temperature pyrolysis of a solid material containing an organic matter. The method includes the steps of mixing a solid material containing an organic matter with a liquid organic medium; transferring the obtained mixture to a microwave field; and in the microwave field, continuously contacting the mixture with a strong wave absorption material in an inert atmosphere or in vacuum. The strong wave absorption material continuously generates a high temperature under a microwave such that the solid material containing an organic matter and the liquid organic medium are continuously pyrolyzed to implement a continuous operation.

A nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite that conducts electricity. The nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite can be used in a variety of different fields of use, including, for example, a structural super-capacitor as an energy solution for autonomous housing and other buildings, a heated cement for pavement deicing or house basement insulation against capillary rise, a protection of concrete against freeze-thaw (FT) or alkali silica reaction (ASR) or other crystallization degradation processes, and as a conductive cable, wire or concrete trace.

A structural supercapacitor, and methods of manufacturing, composed of a conductive composite is described herein. An embodiment of the composite has a controllable transport porosity, that enables transport of electrical charge, via electrolyte solution, to a distributed conductive network within the composite. The distributed conductive network has a controllable storage porosity that enables the storage of electrical charge. The conductive composite can be used in a variety of different fields of use, including, for example, a structural super-capacitor as an energy solution for autonomous housing and other buildings, a heated cement for pavement de-icing or house basement insulation against capillary rise, a protection of concrete against freeze-thaw (FT) or alkali silica reaction (ASR) or other crystallization degradation processes, and as a conductive cable, wire, or concrete trace.

Cementitious materials having high damage tolerance and self-sensing ability are described herein. These materials may replace conventional concrete to serve as a major material component for infrastructure systems with greatly improved resistance to cracking, reinforcement corrosion, and other common deterioration mechanisms under service conditions, and prevents fracture failure under extreme events. These materials can also be used for the repair, retrofitting or rehabilitation of existing concrete structures or infrastructure systems. Furthermore, these materials may offer capacity for distributed and direct sensing of cracking, straining and deterioration with spatially continuous resolution wherever the material is located, without relying on installation of sensors. The present invention relates to multifunctional cementitious structural or infrastructure materials that integrate self-sensing with damage tolerance for improving safety, extending service life, and health monitoring of structures, components, and infrastructure systems.

An electrically and thermally conductive polymer concrete (made of a polymer and aggregate particles without cement) comprising non-functionalized nanoparticles (e.g. non-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NF-MWCNTs), non-functionalized carbon nanofibers, non-functionalized nanoalumina) dispersed therein and methods of making same.

The present invention provides a bidirectional thermal energy-transfer system comprising: a thermally conductive concrete; a location of energy supply or demand that is physically isolated from the thermally conductive concrete; and a means of transferring thermal energy between the structural object and the location of energy supply or demand, for heating, cooling, or a combination thereof, wherein the thermally conductive concrete is characterized by a thermal conductivity greater than 1 W/m.Math.K. Other variations provide a bidirectional electrical energy-transfer system comprising: an electrically conductive concrete; a location of electrical energy supply or demand, wherein the location of electrical energy supply or demand is physically isolated from the electrically conductive concrete; and a means of transferring electrical energy between the structural object and the location of electrical energy supply or demand, wherein the electrically conductive concrete is characterized by a bulk average electrical conductivity greater than 0.01 S/m.

A fluid heating component including: a porous body made of ceramics and formed with through channels through which a fluid passes, and a conductive coating layer disposed on a through channel surface of at least a part of each through channel, wherein the conductive coating layer is electrically connected, and is continuous.

Disclosed is an electrically conductive cement-based composite composition capable of exhibiting stable electrical performance since carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers are mixed in cement at a proper weight ratio so as to lower sensitivity to a specific resistance change caused by the change in a water/cement ratio (w/c). The electrically conductive cement-based composite composition includes, in order to have stable electrical characteristics of which a specific resistance is 100 .Math.cm or less even with the change in the water/cement ratio (w/c), the cement, 0.1-0.5 wt % of the carbon nanotubes on the basis of the cement weight, 0.1-0.4 wt % of the carbon fibers on the basis of the cement weight, and silica fume and a superplasticizer as other additives.

An electrical grounding assembly includes an electrically conductive metal grounding plate, and a corrosion-protective jacket enclosing the grounding plate. The jacket is electrically conductive and water impermeable. The electrical grounding assembly further includes an electrically conductive line having a first end in electrical contact with the grounding plate and enclosed in the jacket, and an opposed second end outside of the jacket for connection to a structure to be electrically grounded.