An Experimental Investigation Of Icephobicity And Hydrophobicity Of Concrete Surface Treated With PAVIX

Abstract

High ice adhesion is a significant problem in several industries. The majority of practical issues brought on by ice adhesion are still not fully resolved, and the ice-adhesion mechanism is still poorly understood. Ice adhesion is a complex phenomenon that becomes more intricate when salt is involved, as in many marine cases. Reducing ice adhesion by generating hydrophobic surfaces might be advantageous in many applications as a passive ice removal strategy. Lowering adhesion may reduce friction, abrasion, and damage to structures in a maritime environment, as well as any surface prone to ice development. This process may also be utilized as a more environmentally friendly road deicing procedure. To estimate the effects of a topical treatment on shear adhesion of ice on concrete surfaces, a series of direct shear tests were performed on concrete treated with a waterproofing product named PAVIX. Chem-Crete PAVIX is a multi-crystallization enhancer, a patented, dual-crystalline engineered waterproofing technology. TxDOT standard Class S concrete is used as control concrete and mixed at two water-cement ratios, 0.45 and 0.43. Ice-adhesion shear tests were performed on control and PAVIX-treated concrete disks using a customized direct shear test device at two controlled sub-freezing temperatures, 30 oF and 13 oF. In addition, thermal conductivity was measured using a KD2 RK-1 heat probe. Specific heat capacity was measured using a custom-made calorimetric box. Water repellent property and contact angle were measured using a tensiometer under static and receding conditions. Results show an excellent reduction of ice-adhesion for PAVIX-treated concrete combined with surface hydrophobicity. The measured results quantify the anti-icing benefit of PAVIX treatment and provide insights into understanding the anti-icing mechanism of the treated concrete. Further investigations must follow to establish a standard for the testing methods used. With increased tests and variations in the test plan, the ice concrete adhesion would be better understood.