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Enhancement of aging resistance of glass fiber reinforced cement

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Abstract

Long-term weathering tests revealed that glass fiber-reinforced cement (GFRC) might exhibit tensile strength reduction and ductility loss with aging. The main goal of this research was to assess the effectiveness of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) powder in enhancing the durability characteristics of GFRC sheets. Accelerated aging was achieved by using low pressure steam curing. The strength and ductility of GFRC sheets were measured by the direct tension test. The test results show that the incorporation of PVA powder into GFRC improves the mechanical behavior and changes the failure mode from brittle to ductile. To investigate the mechanism of the enhancement, the fiber-matrix interface was examined by polarizing optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). It was found that the addition of the PVA powder results in the deposition of a polymeric film on the fiber surface and thus prevented the accumulation of calcium hydroxide in the interfacial zone. The use of the PVA powder led to a more ductile interfacial microstructure and to better bonding between fiber and matrix, which is believed to be responsible for the tensile property enhancement.

Résumé

Des essais de vieillissement à long terme réalisés sur des échantillons en ciment renforcé de fibres de verre (CRFV) ont montré une diminution de leur résistance à la traction et une perte de ductilité avec le temps. L'objectif principal de cette étude est d'évaluer le rôle de l'ajout d'une poudre de polyvinyle alcool (PVA) sur l'amélioration de la durabilité des matériaux à base de ciment renforcés de fibres de verre. Des essais de traction simple ont permis de mesurer la résistance à la traction et la ductilité d'échantillons de CRFV. Les résultats montrent que l'ajout de poudre PVA dans le CRFV améliore les résistances mécaniques et change le mode de rupture fragile en une rupture ductile. Afin de mettre en évidence les mécanismes d'amélioration des performances mécaniques, des observations de l'interface fibre/matrice ont été effectuées au moyen d'un microscope otique et électronique à balayage (MEB), et une analyse aux diffractions de rayons X (DRX) a été réalisée. Les observations montrent que l'ajout de poudre de PVA permet de créer un dépôt d'un film polymérique à la surface de la fibre et prévient ainsi l'accumulation de l'hydroxyde de calcium à la l'interface fibre/matrice. L'incorporation de la poudre PVA dans un ciment renforcé de fibres de verre permet d'obtenir une interface plus ductile et d'améliorer l'adhérence fibre/matrice qui a pour rôle d'augmenter les propriétés en traction du composite.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University, PR China

    X. Qian

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, KLN, Hong Kong, PR China

    B. Shen, B. Mu & Z. Li

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  1. X. Qian
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  2. B. Shen
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  3. B. Mu
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  4. Z. Li
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Qian, X., Shen, B., Mu, B. et al. Enhancement of aging resistance of glass fiber reinforced cement. Mat. Struct. 36, 323–329 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480872

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480872

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