Reinforcing Mechanisms of Coir Fibers in Light-Weight Aggregate Concrete
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Department of Applied Physics, Transport in Permeable Media, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Department of Built Environment, Building Materials, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Energy Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Francisco Javier Espinach Orús
Materials 2021, 14(3), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030699
Received: 6 January 2021
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Revised: 22 January 2021
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Accepted: 26 January 2021
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Published: 2 February 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Natural Fibers and Polymers)
Due to the requirement for developing more sustainable constructions, natural fibers from agricultural wastes, such as coir fibers, have been increasingly used as an alternative in concrete composites. However, the influence of coir fibers on the hydration and shrinkage of cement-based materials is not clear. In addition, limited information about the reinforcing mechanisms of coir fibers in concrete can be found. The goal of this research is to investigate the effects of coir fibers on the hydration reaction, microstructure, shrinkages, and mechanical properties of cement-based light-weight aggregate concrete (LWAC). Treatments on coir fibers, namely Ca(OH)2 and nano-silica impregnation, are applied to further improve LWAC. Results show that leachates from fibers acting as a delayed accelerator promote cement hydration, and entrained water by fibers facilitates cement hydration during the whole process. The drying shrinkage of LWAC is increased by adding fibers, while the autogenous shrinkage decreases. The strength and toughness of LWAC are enhanced with fibers. Finally, three reinforcement mechanisms of coir fibers in cement composites are discussed.
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Keywords:
natural fiber; coir fibers; hydration; shrinkage; internal curing; reinforcement; fiber treatment
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MDPI and ACS Style
Zhang, X.; Pel, L.; Gauvin, F.; Smeulders, D. Reinforcing Mechanisms of Coir Fibers in Light-Weight Aggregate Concrete. Materials 2021, 14, 699. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030699
AMA Style
Zhang X, Pel L, Gauvin F, Smeulders D. Reinforcing Mechanisms of Coir Fibers in Light-Weight Aggregate Concrete. Materials. 2021; 14(3):699. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030699
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhang, Xiaoxiao, Leo Pel, Florent Gauvin, and David Smeulders. 2021. "Reinforcing Mechanisms of Coir Fibers in Light-Weight Aggregate Concrete" Materials 14, no. 3: 699. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030699
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