A Comprehensive Review on Sustainable Natural Fiber in Cementitious Composites: The Date Palm Fiber Case

Abstract

The use of natural fibers in cementitious composites continue gaining acceptability and applicability due to the shortcomings and disadvantages of synthetic fiber; this is because natural fibers have advantages of sustainability, eco-friendliness, and economy. Biodegradable natural fibers, being low density and lightweight, with typical values of strength-to-weight ratio, aspect ratio, elastic modulus, and strength, may be competitive for substituting synthetic fibers such as glass and carbon. Indeed, natural fibers are mostly non-irritating for the skin and typically pose no troubles or issues for breathing, which is not the case with many synthetic fibers. Date palm fiber (DPF) is a natural fiber obtained as waste material from a date palm tree. In many countries, with large date production, DPF is easily available as a process by-product, with a low processing cost. Being sustainable and environmentally friendly, DPF is continuously gaining acceptability as fiber material in different composites such as concrete, mortar, gypsum composites, clay composites, and bricks. Based on the most available literature reviewed, DPF reinforced composites have been found to be a good insulation material, with higher thermal properties, thereby reducing energy consumption which consequently saves the running and maintenance cost of the building. DPF reinforced composites were reported to have higher energy absorption capacity, ductility, and bending resistance, leading to delaying crack propagation and preventing catastrophic failures of structures such as beams and slabs. Additionally, due to its lower density, DPF reinforced composites have the advantage for usage in areas prone to seismic effects, and when used for buildings, the overall weight of the building is expected to reduce hence reduction in foundation cost. The major setback of using DPF in composites is the reduction in the compressive strength of the composites and the durability performance of the composites. Therefore, for effective usage of DPF in composites to derive the maximum benefits, there is a need to devise a method of mitigating its negative effects on the compressive strength and durability performance of the Composites; this is a future study that needs to be explored for better performance of DPF in cementitious and other materials composites.