Fabrication of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites

Abstract

AbstractPortland cement was reinforced by carbon fibers (CF) with various additive materials -- silica powders, superplasticizer, polymer emulsion, fly ash, and foaming agent -- for different purposes. The variables affecting the composite properties were identified. The mechanical properties -- tensile, compressive, and flexural strengths -- were determined as a function of CF loading and length of the fibers. The bulk density of the composites decreased as the fiber loading increased. The tensile strength increased with the CF loading increase but the compressive strength decreased as the fiber content in the composite increased. Increasing difficulty in dispersing CF as the fiber loading increase and the fiber length was rectified by addition of silica aggregates. The mechanical properties were improved as the size of silica aggregate decreased which also exhibited greater effectiveness in CF dispersion. Addition of a polymer emulsion, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) to the composite decreased the bulk density but increased tensile and compressive strengths.