Microwave deicing efficiency and microwave loss characteristics of carbon nanofibers reinforced concrete

In this work, the ice-free heating test and microwave deicing test of carbon nanofiber (CNFs)-reinforced concrete (CNFsRC) were carried out, and the effect of CNFs on the temperature rise rate, temperature distribution, and microwave deicing efficiency of concrete was studied. Also, the resistance loss and dielectric loss characteristics of CNFsRC were studied by measuring the resistivity and electromagnetic parameters of concrete. In addition, the microwave deicing efficiency and loss characteristics of CNFsRC and carbon fiber (CFs)-reinforced concrete (CFsRC) were compared. The results show that CNFs can improve the resistance loss and dielectric loss characteristics of concrete, so that the microwave deicing efficiency of CNFsRC is improved. As the CNFs content increases, the surface temperature, temperature rise rate, area of microwave heating region, and area of ice-breaking region of CNFsRC increase. CNFs can reduce the resistivity of concrete and increase the complex permittivity real part, imaginary part, and dielectric loss angle tangent. As the CNFs content increases, the microwave loss characteristics of CNFsRC increase. Compared with CFs, CNFs have better improvement in the microwave deicing efficiency of concrete. The resistance loss characteristics of CFsRC are better than those of CNFsRC, but the microwave absorption efficiency of CFsRC is poor, and the dielectric loss characteristics of CNFsRC are better than those of CFsRC.