Ice-melting performance assessment of cement composites using silicon carbide as fine aggregate

Abstract

This study focused on the assessment of the ice-melting performance of cement composites using silicon carbide as fine aggregate. To assess the ice-melting performance, two mechanical and three thermal properties were measured and the results were discussed. After measuring the mechanical and thermal properties, the ice-melting test was conducted to confirm the ice-melting performance and the mechanical variation was confirmed through a splitting tensile test. The specimen that used 30% of silicon carbide as fine aggregate showed the highest compressive strength of 68.24 MPa at the 28 days of curing age and the specimens that used 100% of silicon carbide as fine aggregate were the lowest compressive strength of 38.93 MPa at the 28 days of curing age. However, the compressive strength that the case of used 100% of silicon carbide was in the acceptable range. The flexural strength increased with silicon carbide contents of up to 70%. The thermal properties including the thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and specific heat capacity showed nearly the same behaviors. These properties increased with the increase of silicon carbide content. The reason for this phenomenon was related to the volumetric occupancy of silicon carbide in the cement composite. The ice-melting test showed the decreasing of melting time with the increase of the silicon carbide content. Comprehensively, it was demonstrated that the ice-melting performance enhanced for the same reason as the thermal properties and, silicon carbide could be used as fine aggregate for improving the thermal properties.