Abstract
The present study describes the manufacturing of flat sheets of eucalyptus-basalt based hybrid reinforced cement composites (EB-HRCC). The potential of basalt fibrous waste (BFW) as a reinforcement agent in cement matrices and its effects on mechanical and interfacial properties were evaluated in detail. Significantly enhanced bending (flexural) strength and ductility were observed for all developed composite samples. BFW and eucalyptus pulp (EP) were utilized as reinforcement and filling agents respectively for EB-HRCC samples. Mechanical, microstructural and physical properties of EB-HRCC samples were investigated with different formulations of BFW with EP in cement matrices. The results showed that physical properties of the composite samples were more influenced by fiber content. For standard mechanical analysis, the composite samples were placed in sealed bags for two days, thermally cured at 60 °C for five days and immersed in water in ambient conditions for one day. The obtained results showed that samples prepared under optimized conditions (4% EP and 2% BFW) had significantly higher flexural strength and bulk density with lower water absorption and apparent void volume (porosity). Moreover, the higher percentage of BFW significantly enhanced the values of modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), specific energy (SE) and limit of proportionality (LOP). The effects of entrapped air under the four-point bending test on the mechanical behavior of hybrid composites were also investigated in this thematic study. The composites were designed to be used as roofing tile alternatives.
Highlights
Hybrid reinforced cement composites manufactured with cement particles, natural fibres and wood pulp are considered as innovative designs for environmentally friendly construction applications that significantly minimize the consumption of synthetic materials and preserve natural resources
It was observed that the areas for composite samples made with 2% basalt fibrous waste (BFW) and 4% eucalyptus pulp (EP) were significantly higher than those of all other developed samples with less BFW, including the reference sample
The flexural strength of eucalyptus-basalt based hybrid reinforced cement composites (EB-hybrid reinforced cement composites (HRCC)) samples was significantly enhanced by addition of BFW in the cement matrix
Summary
Hybrid reinforced cement composites manufactured with cement particles, natural fibres and wood pulp are considered as innovative designs for environmentally friendly construction applications that significantly minimize the consumption of synthetic materials and preserve natural resources. A lot of efforts have been made over the decades to overcome this issue, and fibre reinforcement has shown its potential as the best approach to fix this inherent dilemma [1,2,3,4]. Non-metallic, natural and synthetic polymeric fibres have been used in fibre-reinforced cement composites for increasing the strength, durability and lifespans of infrastructure, i.e., bridges, buildings and tunnels due to their benefits in the diminution of cracks [5,6,7,8]. Lignocellulosic materials and wood pulp have been extensively used as reinforced cement composites (RCC) [9,10,11]. Due to health and safety issues in the asbestos products, attempts have been made to substitute other fibers using the Polymers 2020, 12, 2837; doi:10.3390/polym12122837 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers
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