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Air-cured, wood pulp, fibre cement composites

Article  in  Journal of Materials Science Letters · December 1985

DOI: 10.1007/BF00719913

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 JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE LETTERS 4 (1e8s) t1,7 -119

Air-cured, wood pulp, fibre cement composites

R. S. P. COUTTS, P. G. WARDEN
CSlRo, Private Bag No. 10, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia

This paper presents a study of the properties of
air-cured, wood-fibre reinforced cement (WFRC)
composites. In both Australia [1-4] and Europe
[5, 6] , studies of WFRC composites have been
based on sheet products formed by techniques
akin to the Hatschek process and cured in high-
pressure steam autoclaves. Steam at temperatures
close to 180o C enabled the replacement of be-
tween 40 to 6Wo of ordinary Portland cement by
less expensive silica (finely ground sand), which
can react with the cement
silicate matrix of acceptable strength 17l. The
reaction is completed within hours instead of the
2 to 3 weeks needed to achieve optimum strength
with ordinary Portland cement hydrated at
ambient temperatures t7l. However, for large
structures or in situ preparations autoclaving may
not be feasible. The physical and mechanical
properties of air-cured WFRC composites, con-
taining unbeaten P. radiata kraft pulp fibres arc
reported in this communication and are com-
pared to the properties of unbeaten,
j WFRC composites.
The WFRC products were prepared by a slurry/
vacuum-dewatering technique described in an
earlier publication t4l. After preparation, the
samples were conditioned at l\Wo relative
humidity (t.h.) for 5 days and then in an atmo-
sphere r 5% r.h. and 22 t 2" C until tested at
of 50
28 days. Properties of flexural strength, fracture
toughness, water absorption and density were
TABLE I Properties of air-cured wood-fibre cement composites
Fibre Flexural strength (MPa)
(% by mass)
r.h.* wet
I
I r.h.
determined on 9 specirnens per test by published
methods I4l and are reported in Table I. Standard
deviations are reported in all cases. The method of
porosity determination used in this study was
water displacement pycnometry [8] , the results
are given in Table I.
The samples were prepared under conditions
(mixing times, slurry concentrations, water removal
and pressure of formation) identical with those
used for steam autoclaved samples t4l.Although
to form a calcium one matrix was neat cement and the other cement
and silica ( I : I by mass) both ingredients have
similar densities (approximately 2.5 gmcm-3),
hence similar physical properties might be ex-
pected.
Water absorption of the air-cured samples
increased with fibre content as it did in the auto-
claved samples t4l but the values were about 35%
lower than those of the autoclaved material. The
densities decreased with fibre content as in the
autoclaved samples t4] but were about l5%
autoclaved higher. Porosity of the air-cured samples increased
with fibre content as in autoclaved materials but
the values we re 25% lower.
Fig. I shows the variation of flexural strength
with a change in fibre content for both air-cured
and autoclaved samples t4l . The flexural strength
of the air-cured samples (betwee,n 4 and 12% by
weight of fibres) is between 120 and 140% that
of the autoclaved samples.
The relationships between the porosity of
Fracture toughness (kJ m-2) Water Density Porosity
wet
absorption (gm cm- 3) (%)
(%)

2 14.9 t 2.4 10. 1 t 0.5 A.4l t 0.04 0.64 t 0.13 14.20 0.67 t 1.90 t 0.04 27 .0 t 1.9
4 20.2 x 2.2 11.9 t 1.0 0.68 t 0.12 I .52 t 0.69 16.00 0.44 t 1.82 t 0.02 29.1 0.7t
6 25 .t t 1.5 13 .3 t 1.1 1.40 t 0.09 3.7 2 x 0.52 19.20 0.89 t 1.62 t 0.04 31.1 x 2.6
8 30.3 1.9t 14.8 t 1 .5 1.93 t 0.25 4.5 1 t 0.75 21.10 0.86 t 1.55 t 0.03 32.7 x 2.3
10 29.2 1.5t 13.1 x 1.4 2.28 t 0.32 4.60 t 0.90 t
23.4 0.69 I.47 t 0.02 34.4 x I.2
T2 27 .6 x 2.4 10.4 t 1.4 2.25 t 0.30 3.60 t 0.90 t
25.0 0.91 I .42 t 0.02 35 .5 t
t.9
*Test samples were conditioned before testing at 50 t 5% r.h. and22 t 2' C.
f Test samples were soaked in water for 48 h, dried with a cloth and then tested while wet.

026 1-8A281 8s $O:.00 + .I 2 @ / 985 Chapman and Hall Ltd. 117

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=-20
F
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2
lrl
F lc
o
J
n=
tz
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x
lrl
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lr
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8

1() 12
PER CENT FIBRE (BY TASS)

Figure I Change of flexural strength with fibre content for autoclaved and air-cured WFRC composites tested in the
r.h. state.

e AI R-CURED

o AUTOCLAYED

\-/
2.C

!-?.
^
Nt
'E
!
-l
z.z
o
o
ut
i
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o
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ur 14
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PER CENT FIBRE (BY TASS)

Figure 2 Change of fracture toughness with fibre content for autoclaved and air-cured WFRC composites tested in the
r.h. state.

118
 cement and properties of strength, permeability,
fracture toughness and elastic modulus have been
extensively studied. Attempts to relate flexural
strength to total porosity have met with only
limited success [9- t I J . The strength of cement
paste has been shown t9l to depend primarily,
not on the volume fraction of pores, but rather
on the pore size. In such cases the larger pores act
as Griffith flaws fvhich control the strength of
the cement [9] . No attempt will be made to derive
a relationship between flexural strength and total
porosity for air-cured or autoclaved samples.
It appears that differences in the curing process
have a much greater influence on physical proper-
ties than the choice of reinforcing cellulosic
material. Thus, physical properties of air-cured
hemp-reinforced cement ll2l were similar to
those of air-cured WFRC composites, while the
properties of autoclaved cement mortar reinforced
with Phormium tenax [13] resembled those of
autoclaved WFRC mortar. These findings suggest
the variation in physical properties could be
associated with the rapid formation of the matrix
in autoclaved samples, with no further change in
physical state, compared to the slow hydration
reactions taking place during air cure. In the latter
case liberated calcium hydroxide can migrate into
the voids between matrix particles reducing the
porosity (trence lower values of water absorption)
and increasing the density [14] . L4.
In contrast with the behaviour of flexural
strength, fracture toughness for air-cured WFRC
samples is similar to that observed for autoclaved
samples t4l . F ig. 2 shows the variation in fracture
\v
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toughness, for both air-cured and autoclaved
products, as the fibre content is changed.
We conclude that air-cured WFRC composites
(8% fibre by mass) are useful materials with
flexural strength close to 30 MPa and fracture
toughness values of approximately zkJ m-2, with
a density of about 1.6 gm cm-3. Such material
properties suggest applications in the areas of
moulded products and cement renders.
References
1. R. S. P. COUTTS, CSIRO Division of Chemical
Technol,ogy, Research Review ( I 97 9) p. 1 .
2, R. ANDoNIAN, y.w. MAI and B. corrERELL,
Int. J. Cem. Compos. I (1979) 151.
3. R. s. P. coUTTS and v. RIDIKAS, Appita 35
(1982) 395.
4. R. S. P. COUTTS, Composites in press.
5. S. HARPER, ibid. April (1982) I23.
6. R. A. WELLS, ibid. April (1982) 169.
7 . F. M. LEA, "The Chemistry of Cement and Con-
crete" 3rd edn (Edward Arnold Ltd, London,l976)
Chap. 9.
8. N. McN. ALFoRD, Cem. Conc. Res. l0 (1980) 263.
9. J. D. BIRCHALL, A. J. HOWARD and K. KEN-
DALL, Nature 289 (1981) 388.
10. European Patent Publication No. 002 L682, Imperial
Chemical Industries Ltd ( 198 1) .
11. N. McN. ALFoRD and A. A. RAHMAN, J. Mater.
Sci. l6 ( 1981) 3 10s .
t2. R. S. P. COUTTS, unpublished results (1983).
13. R. s. P. couTTs, Int. J. Cem. Compos, Lightweight
Conu.5 (1983).
F. M. LEA, "The Chemistry of Cement and Con-
crete" 3rd edn (Edward Arnold Ltd, London, L976)
Chap. 10.
Received 22 May
and accepted 3 July 1984
119