GEOPOLYMER-JUTE COMPOSITE: A NOVEL ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COMPOSITE WITH FIRE RESISTANT PROPERTIES

摘要

Geopolymers are a novel family of inorganic polymeric materials obtained by the alkali activation of a heat-treated aluminosilicate. Geopolymers can be considered green materials because they can be synthesized from natural resources and their chemistry is environmentally friendly without the production of toxic residues or CO{sub}2 emissions. Although several kinds of fibers have been used to reinforce a geopolymer matrix, little or non-work has been done in the use and characterization of natural fibers. Natural fibers don't require any kind of chemical treatment, they are inexpensive and biodegradable. For these reasons their use in the development of green composites is being studied. The intention of this work was to develop a green composite material using geopolymers as the resin and woven jute fabric as reinforcement. The resulting plate was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, dynamical mechanical analysis and tensile strength. In order to emphasize a practical application of this composite a flame exposure test was conducted and the results are discussed qualitatively.