Mercerization effect on mechanical properties of empty fruit bunch fibre in reinforcing low densities lightweight foamed concrete

Abstract

Due to the minimum cost, availability and renewable character, natural fibre had managed to grab the attention of researchers to utilize this industrial waste as industrial and structural material to restore the structures. This is due to the renewable nature of the fibre, minimal cost, low density and the amenability towards the chemical modification. The purpose of this paper is to oversee the reaction of empty fruit bunches fibre in the low densities of lightweight foamed concrete after been modified with the different percentages of alkali treatment using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The effect of this fibre chemical treatment (2%-10% sodium hydroxide chemical treatment) on the mechanical properties of lightweight foamed concrete was investigated expansively. There were three different densities of lightweight foamed concrete (500kg/m3, 700kg/m3 and 900kg/m3) used in this study. There were three different experimental test conducted to determine the lightweight foamed concrete strengths which were axial compressive strength test, flexural test and splitting tensile strength. The test result shows that 6% of sodium hydroxide chemical treatment of empty fruit bunches fibre offered the best results. The result showed that the highest strength result is obtained from 900kg/m3 density of lightweight foamed concrete with 6% sodium hydroxide treatment on the empty fruit bunches fibre while the lowest strength was obtained by 500kg/m3 lightweight foamed concrete with 0% of sodium hydroxide treatment on the fibre. Out of 257% of intensification in axial compressive strength test, 88% were showed in flexural strength test and 61% increase in splitting tensile strength test.