Experimental study of the addition of oil palm mesocarp fiberon the physical and mechanical properties of fiber cement mortar composites

摘要

Composite materials based on natural fibers are increasing in demand in various sectors of industry because of theirinteresting specific properties. This work is a contribution to the valorization, of plant fibers from agricultural plantationsin Cameroon, in fiber cement mortar (FCM). This paper studies the influence of the addition of oil palm mesocarpfiber (OPMF) on the physical (water absorption, density and compactness) and mechanical (compressive strength andflexural strength) properties of cement mortars. The fibers used in this paper are extracted from oil palm mesocarp (palmkernel pulp) by a mechanical and manual process. Cement mortar specimens were then made with different proportionsof fibers: 0% (reference mortar), 1%, 2%, 3% and 3.5% fibers. Physical and mechanical tests are then carried out on ourspecimens. Regardless of the duration of immersion in water, the results show that the water absorption rate increaseswith a greater amount of fiber in the FCM specimens. On the other hand, an inverse effect is observed on density, whichdecreases from 2277.5 (samples with 0% fiber) to 942.1 kg/m~3 (samples with 3.5% fiber) for apparent density and from2641.2 to 1945.7 kg/m~3 for absolute density. On the mechanical properties, there is a steady decrease in compressivestrength from 42.47 (for the reference mortar at 0% fiber) to 31.1 MPa (for the sample at 3.5% fiber). In bending, there isfirst an increase and then a decrease in strength with the amount of fibers. The maximum flexural strength is obtainedfor a 2% fiber composition. The FCM has a better strength/density ratio. Finally, the addition of OPMF, in small proportionin the cement mortar, allows a lightening of the structure, but induces a small decrease in mechanical resistance. OurFCM can be used in the manufacture of cinderblocks or as internal wall roughcoating mortar.