# US 11,897,813 B2 · Method of forming an electrically conductive cement composite

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- Number: US 11,897,813 B2
- Document ID: US11897813B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/973,299
- Filed: 2022-10-25
- Published: 2023-02-09
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-12
- Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique; Universite De Bordeaux
- Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Université de Bordeaux
- Inventors: Roland J. M. Pellenq; Aikaterini Ioannidou; Nicolas Chanut; Thibaut Divoux; Renal Backov; Franz-Josef Ulm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897813B2

## CPC

- C04B 28/04: Portland cements
- C04B 22/02: Elements
- C04B 24/383: {Cellulose or derivatives thereof}
- H01G 11/08: Structural combinations, e.g. assembly or connection, of hybrid or EDL capacitors with other electric components, at least one hybrid or EDL capacitor being the main component
- H01G 11/36: Nanostructures, e.g. nanofibres, nanotubes or fullerenes
- H01G 11/42: Powders or particles, e.g. composition thereof
- H01G 11/52: Separators
- C04B 14/06: Quartz; Sand
- C04B 2103/408: {Dispersants}
- C04B 2111/00008: {Obtaining or using nanotechnology related materials}
- C04B 2111/00844: {for electronic applications}
- C04B 2111/40: Porous or lightweight materials
- C04B 2111/94: Electrically conducting materials
- H01G 11/30: characterised by their material
- Y02E 60/13: Energy storage using capacitors
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming an electrically conductive cement composite, the method comprising:
mixing nanoporous carbon nanoparticles in an aqueous solution of a carbon nanoparticle dispersing agent thereby creating a nanoporous carbon nanoparticle suspension;
mixing a hydraulic cement powder with the nanoporous carbon nanoparticle suspension; and
filling a portion of a capillary pore network of the electrically conductive cement composite with the nanoporous carbon nanoparticle suspension thereby creating a continuous percolating conductive network of the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising casting the electrically conductive cement composite and immersing the electrically conductive cement composite in a solution comprising lime and water.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising forming a composite comprising between about 2% by weight and about 10% by weight of the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles with respect to a total initial mix comprising the hydraulic cement, the carbon nanoparticle dispersing agent, the aqueous solution and the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles, and comprising a water to cement ratio between about 0.5 and about 0.8.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanoparticle dispersing agent comprises carboxymethyl cellulose.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the carboxymethyl cellulose comprises between about 0.1% by weight and about 1% by weight of a total initial mix comprising the hydraulic cement, the carbon nanoparticle dispersing agent, the aqueous solution and the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles comprise a pore size of less than about 1 nanometer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles comprise at least one of: carbon black and an activated porous carbon.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cement comprises Portland Cement.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive cement composite comprises between about 50% by weight and about 70% by weight of Portland Cement with respect to a total initial mix comprising the hydraulic cement, the carbon nanoparticle dispersing agent, the aqueous solution and the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon nanoparticles comprise a specific surface area less than about 3000 m2/g as determined using a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method or Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method.