Evaluation of the mechanical performance and durability of binary blended CAC-MK/natural fibe composites

Abstract

The aim of this work was to develop strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) and durable composites based on calcium-aluminate cement (CAC) with variable metakaolin (MK) content (from 0 to 50 wt%) and flax nonwoven natural textile reinforcement. For this purpose, three experimental packages were performed in order to: a) evaluate the effect of MK content on the mechanical performance and cement mixture microstructure of the matrix, b) analyze the effect of the cement mixture on the performance of the natural fibers, and c) determine the bending behavior and durability of the composites. It was found that the strength and modulus of the 28 days cured cement paste under compression and bending modes decreased with MK content. Low degradation of the natural fibers on the CAC-MK matrix was found and this degradation was lower for higher MK content. The developed composites presented a ductile behavior and high tensile strength and maintained this performance after subjecting them to a 250 cycles of accelerated aging.