Effect of Adding Chopped Carbon Fiber (CCF) on the Improvement of Gypsum Plaster Characteristicssss

Abstract

The current work studies the effect of adding chopped carbon fiber (CCF) on gypsum plaster properties (precisely the compressive strength and the modulus of rupture). The research plan consists of using six mixes of gypsum plaster; these mixes are divided into two groups according to the (Water/Gypsum) ratios (0.5 & 0.6). Each group was divided into three subgroups according to CCF volume fraction (Vf): 0.0%, 0.2% and 0.4%. Three cubic (50×50×50) mm and three prismatic (40×40×160) mm samples were performed for each mix. It was found that, the addition of CCF to the gypsum plaster mixes increases both the compressive strength and the modulus of rupture for both (W/G) ratios, and the percentage of this increase is enlarged with increasing (W/G) ratio. On the other hand, when (W/G) ratio is enlarged, the compressive strength and the modulus of rupture is deteriorated for all (Vf) of CCF, and this percentage of deterioration is decreased in the presence of CCF.