Recycled polymer fibers in cement composites for sustainable construction

Abstract

Innovative approaches in urban development should address all aspects, including waste management, with a strong focus on
sustainability and environmental protection. Various cementitious composites can be considered a viable medium that allows waste storage. In this study, the effect of the polyester-vinyl fiber addition on the strength and microstructural properties of cement mortars was investigated tomdetermine the optimal fiber content. The fibers were added to the composite at 1%, 2% and 4% by weight of the cement mortar mix. The fibers used were fine fraction (0–1 mm) and coarse fraction (1–4 mm). The material microstructures, particularly in relation to the properties of the fiber-cement matrix interface for the selected mortar, were then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that, aside from the reference sample, the mortars containing 1% fibers of both the fine and coarse fractions had the highest compressive strength. In relation to the reference mix, the sample with 2% fine fraction polyester-vinyl fibers and the sample with 1% coarse fraction fibers achieved the best flexural strength, lower than the reference sample only by about 4%. The worst performance in each test was achieved by mortars containing 4% fibers. The analysis conducted was compared with findings from related studies, indicating the possibility of solving the challenges observed
during the research. The solution indicated in the paper has the potential to create a procedure for the disposal of used posters and banners in cement mortar production