Study on the Performance of Natural Fibres Reinforced Alkali Activated Composites

Abstract

The key component in concrete production is cement. However, its production generates substantial quantity of greenhouse gas. Alkali activated composites(AAC) are alumino silicate polymers which has been gaining much attention in recent years as it strives towards replacing cement as a binder. Binders as such produced using cement or AAC are very strong in compression, however, they have low tensile and flexural strength. Incorporating steel fibres has been an age old method to improve the tensile strength. This paper focuses on the use of natural fibres as a substitute of micro steel in AAC. Two natural fibres namely pineapple and banana fibre has been studied for mechanical strength and durability properties in AAC production. The experimental work also include a brief study on the surface structure of the materials used using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) followed by Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis.