Abstract
This study aims to prepare bamboo-fiber-reinforced cement composites and provide a solution to the issue of poor interfacial adhesion between bamboo fibers and cement matrix. The original bamboo fibers were modified by three moderately low-cost and easy-to-handle treatments including glycerol, aluminate ester, and silane treatments. The performance of the modified bamboo-fiber-reinforced cement composites was evaluated by a series of mechanical and durability tests, including flexural and compressive strength, water absorption, chloride ion penetration, drying shrinkage, freeze–thaw resistance, and carbonization. In addition, the microstructures of composites were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the composites reinforced with glycerol-modified bamboo fibers had 14% increased flexural strength and comparable compressive strength. From durability perspectives, all treatments showed similar performance in drying shrinkage, whereas aluminate ester treatment was the most effective in terms of impermeability, chloride resistance, freeze–thaw resistance, and carbonization. The results could provide insights to efficient and effective natural fiber treatment to enable better performance of natural-fiber-reinforced cement-based materials.
Highlights
IntroductionFiber reinforcement of cement-based materials has been a practice for many decades [1,2]
Fiber reinforcement of cement-based materials has been a practice for many decades [1,2].Many different types of fiber, such as metallic fiber, glass fiber, carbon fibers, synthetic polymer fiber, and natural fiber, have been proved beneficial [2]
Agglomeration in the cement paste matrix would serve as defects and offset any benefits provided by the fiber reinforcement
Summary
Fiber reinforcement of cement-based materials has been a practice for many decades [1,2]. Many different types of fiber, such as metallic fiber, glass fiber, carbon fibers, synthetic polymer fiber, and natural fiber, have been proved beneficial [2]. Fibers could overcome shortcomings of cement-based materials such as low tensile strength, low toughness, and cracking issues, which is due to the crack-bridging mechanism where fibers can delay or prevent crack propagation in the fiber–cement composites [3,4]. In consideration of energy and environmental issues, renewable, biodegradable, and abundant bamboo fibers have been drawing more and more attention for their use as the reinforcement for cement-based composites. Bamboo fibers have the potential to be used in cement-based materials as a promising alternative reinforcement to synthetic polymer fiber and steel fiber. Since the pioneering work done by Pakotiprapha et al [6] and Ramaswaymy et al [7] in the 1980s, Polymers 2020, 12, 2650; doi:10.3390/polym12112650 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers
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