Proposal for a fiber cement panel with the addition of sugarcane bagasse

Abstract

The objective of the study is to propose a fiber cement panel based on sugarcane bagasse that complies with the basic requirements for non-compressed fiber cement, without using special equipment for its manufacture, reducing the processes by half without compromising the quality of the product. No crusher, kiln, hydraulic press or vacuum pump were used to produce the panels; water was used to clean the fibers and sodium silicate was used as a mineralizing agent; results were compared with NMX standards for structural mortars and fiber cement slabs together with manufacturing processes from previous research on natural fibers to obtain a methodology that optimizes the process. It is demonstrated that it is feasible to produce fiber cement panels that comply with the minimum regulatory requirements by reducing processes, without damaging the physical-mechanical values of the fiber cement. The best performance results show a MOR of 6.70 MPa and a density of 1560 kg⁄m^3 for a panel with 6% cane bagasse added to the dry mass of cement, a water/cement ratio of 0.95 by volume and sand/cement of 2.5 by mass. Opportunities are generated to experiment with counterpart fibers based on the tools, processes and recommendations of the project.