Nitric acid-modified amorphous alloy fiber and its effects on mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)

Abstract

The traditional steel fiber UHPC has the phenomenon of low strength and poor durability, which can not give full play to the practical value of UHPC. Nevertheless, amorphous alloy fibres possess notable strength, flexibility and corrosion resistance. The incorporation of amorphous alloy fibres into ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been demonstrated to enhance the strength and toughness of UHPC. However, the surface of amorphous alloy fibres is characterised by a smooth and hydrophobic quality, which presents a challenge in terms of the interface bond with the cement matrix. In order to address this issue, three concentrations of nitric acid (HNO3, 2 mol/L, 4 mol/L and 6 mol/L) were employed to modify the surface of amorphous alloy fibres, and then the amorphous alloy fibres were incorporated into the cement matrix for fiber pull-out test, compression, flexural strength and impact testing. The changes in the physical and chemical properties of the amorphous alloy fibres before and after modification were analysed, and the effects on the interface bond strength and dynamic and static mechanical properties of UHPC were studied by means of SEM. The results demonstrate that the adhesion strength of the modified amorphous alloy fibre with 4 mol/L HNO3 is the most robust, with an increase of 18.7 % in compressive strength, 13.8 % in flexural strength, and 5.4 % in impact resistance. The method has been demonstrated to be effective in strengthening and toughening the cement matrix with HNO3-modified amorphous alloy fibres.