Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Nov 29;12(1):20565.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-25085-6.

The impact of natural fibers' characteristics on mechanical properties of the cement composites

Marzena Kurpińska  1 , Magdalena Pawelska-Mazur #  2 , Yining Gu #  3 , Filip Kurpiński #  4
Affiliations
Review

The impact of natural fibers' characteristics on mechanical properties of the cement composites

Marzena Kurpińska et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

The paper reviews the properties of cement composites reinforced with short fibres. The effect of natural fibres was investigated: cotton, sisal, jute, ramie, bamboo, and synthetic fibres: polymer and polypropylene. It was noticed that the fibres change the consistency of the mixture up to 15%. In the composite flexural strength tests, a change in strength by +/- 8% was observed, depending on the type of fibres used. The research shows that the use of natural fibres had a positive effect on the compressive strength by 27%, while the use of synthetic fibres caused its decrease by 4%. Additionally, it was noticed that the chemical composition, the diameter and the total length of the fibres in the element have an impact on the composite shrinkage. The fibre-containing composites showed an 8% higher water absorption compared to the non-fibre samples. The exception is the ramie fibres, which reduce water absorption. In general, a positive effect of natural fibers on the properties of cement composites has been noticed, however, in case of natural fibres application, a thorough further properties investigation is recommended.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Elastic deformation model in the plant fibre cell wall.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Fibre used in research [Fot. Y.Gu].
Figure 3
Figure 3
The properties of the grain size of fine aggregate 0–2 mm.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Flexural strength test [Fot.Y.Gu].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Compressive strength test [Fot. Y.Gu].
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM of jute fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 7
Figure 7
SEM of bamboo fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 8
Figure 8
SEM of sisal fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 9
Figure 9
SEM of cotton fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 10
Figure 10
SEM of ramie fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 11
Figure 11
SEM of polymer fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 12
Figure 12
SEM of polypropylene (PP) fibre [Fot.M.Kurpińska].
Figure 13
Figure 13
Results of fluidity test.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Flexural strength test results.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Compressive strength test results.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Testing the change in length of samples.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Water absorption of composite (%).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Zhong X, Hu M, Deetman S, Steubing B, Lin HX, Hernandez GA, Harpprecht C, Zhang C, Tukker A, Behrens P. Global greenhouse gas emissions from residential and commercial building materials and mitigation strategies to 2060. Nat. Commun. 2021;12(1):1–10. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26212-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amran M, Fediuk R, Abdelgader H, Murali G, Ozbakkalogluf T, Lee YH, Lee YY. Fiber-reinforced alkali-activated concrete: A review. J. Build. Eng. 2021;45:103638. doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103638. - DOI
    1. Azwa ZN, Yousif BF, Manalo AC, Karunasena W. A review on the degradability of polymeric composites based on natural fibres. Mater. Des. 2013;47:424–442. doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2012.11.025. - DOI
    1. Di Bella G, Fiore V, Galtieri G, Borsellino C, Valenza A. Effects of natural fibres reinforcement in lime plasters (kenaf and sisal vs. Polypropylene) Constr. Build. Mater. 2014;58:159–165. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.02.026. - DOI
    1. Sanjay MR, Madhu P, Jawaid M, Senthamaraikannan P, Senthil S, Pradeep S. Characterization and properties of natural fiber polymer composites: A comprehensive review. J. Clean. Prod. 2018;172:566–581. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.101. - DOI