Article

pubs.acs.org/IECR

Effect of Jute as Fiber Reinforcement Controlling the Hydration

Characteristics of Cement Matrix
Sumit Chakraborty, Sarada P. Kundu, Aparna Roy, Basudam Adhikari, and S. B. Majumder*
Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, West Bengal, India
*
S Supporting Information

ABSTRACT: The present investigation deals with the effect of jute as a natural fiber reinforcement on the setting and hydration
behavior of cement. The addition of jute fiber in cement matrix increases the setting time and standard water consistency value.
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The hydration characteristics of fiber reinforced cement were investigated using a variety of analytical techniques including
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thermal, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and free lime estimation by titration. Through these analyses it was
demonstrated that the hydration kinetics of cement is retarded with the increase in jute contents in cement matrix. A model has
been proposed to explain the retarded hydration kinetics of jute fiber reinforced cement composites. The prolonged setting of
these fiber reinforced cement composites would be beneficial for applications where the premixed cement aggregates are required
to be transported from a distant place to the construction site.

1. INTRODUCTION belite), tricalcium aluminate C3A (Ca3Al2O6), and tetracalcium

Due to their economical, ecological, and environmentally
efficient performances, natural fibers are nowadays found to be
attractive reinforcing agents in cement matrix compared to steel
and synthetic fibers. In the past few decades natural fibers have
been widely used for construction purposes to overcome the
inherent brittleness as well as to improve the strength and
ductility of cement composite.1,2 Thus, Tonoli et al.3 reported
that reinforcing cement matrix with eucalyptus pulp provides
effective crack bridging to improve its mechanical properties.
Jarabo et al.4 reported that hemp and corn pulps, extracted
from agricultural waste, can be used as reinforcing agents for
the production of fiber−cement composites. Sugar cane bagasse
fiber5 is also used as a reinforcement for improving the strength
of cement composite. The major advantage of fiber reinforce-
ment is to impart additional energy absorbing capability by
transferring a brittle material into a pseudoductile one.
Additionally, jute fibers, dispersed in cement or concrete
matrixes, serve as a crack arrestor to retard crack propagation
leading to noncatastrophic failure of cement composites.6
In a recent study, we have demonstrated that chopped jute
fibers are a potential reinforcing agent in cement matrix. We
reported that, by reinforcing cement matrix with jute fiber, the
compressive and flexural strengths of the resultant mortar can
be increased to 9 and 16%, respectively, as compared to the
mortar specimen without jute reinforcement. Additionally, the
extensibility of these composites was also increased up to 31%.
This implies that the brittleness of the fiber reinforced
composites is reduced compared to that of composites without
any fiber reinforcement.
Although natural fibers improve the strength and ductility of
cement composites, they alter the setting and hydration
behavior of cement. The purpose of this study is to investigate
the effect of jute on the setting and hydration behavior of
cement.
Cement in anhydrous state mostly consists of tricalcium
silicate C3S (Ca3SiO5, alite), dicalcium silicate C2S (Ca2SiO4,
aluminoferrite (Ca4AlnFe2−nO7, C4AF). It also contains small
amounts of clinker sulfate (sulfates of sodium, potassium, and
calcium) and gypsum. When water is added to cement, parts of
the clinker sulfates and gypsum are readily dissolved to produce
an alkaline sulfate rich solution. Soon after water addition the
most reactive phase C3A reacts with water form an aluminate
rich gel. Subsequently the gel reacts with the sulfate rich
solution to form ettringite (Ca6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12·26H2O) with
a small rodlike structure. The chemical reaction is represented
as
Ca3Al 2O6 + 3CaSO4 , 2H 2O + 26H 2O
→ Ca6Al 2(SO4 )3 (OH)12 ·26H 2O (1)
After prolonged hydration ettringite is converted to a
monosulfonate phase [AFm, Ca4Al2(OH)12·SO4·6H2O] and
the chemical reaction is
2Ca3Al 2O6 + Ca6Al 2(SO4 )3 (OH)12 · 26H 2O + 4H 2O
→ 3Ca4Al 2(OH)12 ·SO4 ·6H 2O (2)
C3S and C2S phases then take part in a hydration reaction to
form calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and calcium silicate
hydrate 3CaO·2SiO2·4H2O (C−S−H) gel. These phases are
considered to be principal contributors to the strength of
cement composite.7,8 The associated chemical reactions are
2Ca3SiO5 + 6H 2O → 3CaO· 2SiO2 ·4H 2O + 3Ca(OH)2
(3)
and
Received: March 6, 2012
Revised: September 1, 2012
Accepted: December 29, 2012
Published: December 30, 2012

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2Ca 2SiO4 + 4H 2O → 3CaO· 2SiO2 ·4H 2O + Ca(OH)2
(4)
All these hydration reactions are retarded when natural fibers
and related additives are added to cement water slurry. The
effect of some of these additives on the hydration behavior of
cement is tabulated as in the Supporting Information. For
example, as reported by Singh et al.,9 incorporation of bagasse
ash in cement elongates the setting time by retarding hydration
reaction. The natural fiber or natural substances mainly alter the
cement hydration reaction equilibrium. Yasuda et al.10 reported
that cement setting and the hydration reaction is retarded in the
presence of wood. The main components of wood are cellulose,
hemicelluloses, lignin, and some extractives which retard the
cement hydration reaction.11 Cellulose, hemicelluloses, and
lignin are in the family of polysaccharides, and these
polysaccharides are composed of various types of sugars.
These sugars act as setting and hydration retarding agents.
Juengera and Jennings12 reported that the retardation effect of a
sugar is due to its absorption on the surface of the hydrating
cement particle and/or on the hydrated product. The layer of
sugar based compounds forms a temporary barrier on the
cement particle for further hydration. The mechanism of
adsorption is through chelation, where the organic sugar
compounds form a complex with the metal ions present in the
cement. The retardation effect of sugar is also supported by the
research findings of Thomas and Birchall.13,14 As reported by
Bishop et al.,15 additives such as tartaric acid, lignosulfonate,
etc. also retard cement setting and hydration.
From review of the existing literature, it is apparent that
effect of jute fiber on the hydration characteristics of cement
has not yet been studied. The hydration kinetics of cement has
mostly been studied using additives such as table sugar, sucrose,
tartaric acid, etc. The hydration of cement is believed to be far
more complex in natural fiber reinforced cement composites.
The reasoning behind the retarded hydration kinetics in these
fiber reinforced cement composites is quite scattered, and most
of the instances are purely hand waving. Jute, being a natural
fiber, contains organic components such as cellulose, hemi-
celluloses, lignin, etc. These organic compounds would affect
the cement hydration. In view of this, we found it worthwhile to
undertake systematic research to understand the underlying
mechanism controlling the hydration behavior of jute fiber
reinforced cement composites.
Using thermal, infrared spectroscopy, and phase analyses of
the hydration products, we have investigated the hydration
behavior of unmodified jute fiber reinforced cement compo-
sites. Plausible mechanisms have been proposed to elucidate
the interaction between the jute fiber and cement matrix. On
the basis of the mechanism of such an interaction, the
retardation of the hydration kinetics in jute fiber reinforced
cement composites is explained.
2. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
2.1. Materials. We have used portland pozzolana fly ash
cement manufactured by Ambuja Cement Ltd. The cement is
manufactured in accordance with IS: 1489, 1991,16 specifica-
tions. Tossa Indian jute (corhorus olitorius) of grade TD4,
obtained from Gloster jute mill, Howrah, India, was used as
reinforcing agent.
2.2. Sample Preparation. To study the effect of jute fiber
on the hydration characteristics of cement, we prepared cement
specimens following the procedures described bellow.
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First the jute fibers were chopped into lengths of 5−6 mm
followed by grinding them in a laboratory grinder for 15−20
min. The ground jute fibers were dried at 85 °C for 6 h for
moisture removal and stored in a desiccator for further
processing. Then 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 g of ground jute fibers
were weighted and immersed separately in distilled water for 24
h keeping the fiber:water ratio at ∼1:30 (weight:volume). The
water absorption by jute fiber was estimated to be about 210%.
The water saturated jute fibers were dispersed in cement water
slurry (water:cement ratio ∼ 0.6). The control sample was
made by mixing 100 g of cement in 60 mL of distilled water. In
jute fiber modified slurries the cement and water ratios were
kept identical; however, jute contents were systematically varied
from 0.5 to 4.0 g. The control and fiber modified cement
slurries were cast immediately in a glass Petri dish and allowed
to set for 24 h in a desiccator. These samples were water cured
for 28 days and ground with a mortar and pestle. The powder
specimens, thus prepared, were washed with acetone and dried
in a laboratory oven at 105 °C for 24 h. Washing with acetone
was necessary to terminate the cement hydration reaction. The
dried specimens were used for further characterization. The
control sample was coded as “0CC”. The jute modified cement
samples are coded as “XRJC”, where X denotes the respective
weight percent of jute in cement slurry.
2.3. Characterization. The standard consistencies and
setting times of control and fiber modified cement pastes were
measured using Vicat apparatus in accordance with IS: 4031
part 4, 1988, and IS: 4031 part 5, 1988.17,18
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of hydrated cement
samples was performed with a DSC calorimeter (DSC200PC,
NETZSCH, USA). The DSC measurements were performed in
the temperature range between 30 and 600 °C maintaining a
heating rate of 10 °C min−1 under dynamic N2 atmosphere. For
effective comparison the weights of the samples were kept
identical (∼10 mg) in all measurements.
A thermogravimetric (TG) analyzer (TG209F1, NETZSCH,
U.K.) was used for thermogravimetric analysis of the hydrated
cement samples. The weights of the samples were kept identical
(∼10 mg) for all TG measurements. The measurement was
performed under dynamic air atmosphere in the temperature
range between 30 and 1000 °C maintaining a heating a rate of
10 °C min−1.
Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) of 28 day water
cured cement samples (without and with jute modification)
were recorded using a FTIR spectrometer (Nexus 870, Thermo
Nicolet Corp., USA). To record the FTIR spectra, a 1 mg
powder sample was mixed with 100 mg of KBr to make circular
pellets. The spectra were recorded in the range 4000−400 cm−1
with 2 cm−1 resolution and after 32 scans.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) of hydrated cement samples was
performed by using an X-ray diffractometer (ULTIMA III,
RIGAKU Inc., Japan) using Cu Kα radiation and a Ni filter.
The XRD scan was performed using a scan speed of 1 deg
min−1 at 0.02 min steps. The powdered specimens were packed
in the rectangular hole of a glass sample holder for all the X-ray
diffraction measurements.
To evaluate the extent of hydration of control and jute
modified cement pastes, we have estimated the free lime (CaO)
content in hydrated cement samples. These estimations are
done in accordance with the modified Franke extraction
method.19 For this purpose, 1 g of hydrated cement sample was
refluxed with 40 mL of isopropyl alcohol and ethyl acetoacetate
mixture (in 20:3 volume ratio) for 3 h. The refluxed solution
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was cooled and filtered off using Whatman 41 filter paper. The
filtrate was titrated against 0.1 N HCl using bromophenol blue
as indicator. The free lime content was estimated using the
following relation.
V in cement paste.
percent of free lime = 0.2804
(5)
W
where V is the volume of 0.1 N HCl required for titration and
W is the weight of the cement sample.
3. RESULTS
3.1. Standard Consistency and Setting Time. The
standard consistency of cement is defined as the minimum
Figure 1. Variation of the standard consistency and setting times of
cement with jute loading contents. The symbol ○ indicates standard
consistency, △ indicates initial setting time, and ▽ indicates final
setting time of the cement.
quantity of water required to make a workable mixture. The
standard consistency was measured by Vicat apparatus
following the procedure mentioned in Indian standards. The
standard consistency of control cement was estimated to be
∼35%, but it was increased to 35.5% in 0.5% jute modified
cement sample. As shown in Figure 1, we have found that the
value of standard consistency increases with the increase in jute
contents. Similar behavior has also been reported for bagasse
ash modified cement.20 The increase of the standard
consistency with the increase of fiber contents is due to the
hygroscopic nature of natural fibers. In the present work,
although the jute fibers were saturated with water, their water
Figure 2. (a) DSC plot of the control cement sample hydrated for 28 days. The inset shows the DSC plots of control and jute modified cement
specimens. (b) Estimated variation of the enthalpy change due to Ca(OH)2 decomposition with jute contents (%) in cement matrix.
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affinity could not be completely eliminated. As compared to the
control specimen, more water is required to make workable the
jute modified cement mixture. As a result, the standard
consistency was increased with the increase in jute contents
The hydration characteristics of jute fiber modified cement
specimens were characterized through the measurement of
initial and final setting times. The initial setting time of cement
occurs when the paste becomes stiff, whereas after final setting
the cement becomes hard enough to sustain a specified load.
Figure 1 also shows the variation of both initial and final setting
times of fiber modified cements with jute contents. The initial
and final setting times of the control cement were estimated to
be 130 and 170 min, respectively. Both initial and final setting
times are increased with the increase in jute contents. Thus the
initial and final setting times were varied in the range 148−180
min (initial) and 191−246 min (final) respectively, when the
jute contents in cement was varied in the range 0.5−4 wt %.
Also as shown in Figure 1, the difference between the initial and
final setting times is increased with the increase in jute contents
in cement matrix. Reviewing Figure 1, it is apparent that,
compared to the initial setting time, the final setting time is
extended more with increase in jute loading in cement matrix.
3.2. Thermal Analysis. 3.2.1. DSC Analysis. To better
understand the hydration behavior of jute modified cement, we
have performed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The
DSC plot of control cement paste, water cured for 28 days, is
shown in Figure 2a. The DSC plots of the jute modified cement
pastes are shown in the inset of Figure 2a. In the DSC plots,
series of endothermic peaks are identified in the temperature
range 60−510 °C. The endothermic peak at ∼97 °C is due to
dehydration of calcium silicate hydrate (C−S−H).21,22 The
next peak at ∼188 °C is due to the decomposition of
monosulfate phase (C3A·CaSO4·12H2O), and the shoulder at
∼397 °C is thought to be due to the reaction product Fe2O3,
produced from tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C4AF) during
cement hydration. The characteristic endothermic peak at
∼485 °C is due to the decomposition of calcium hydroxide
(Ca(OH)2). As shown in the inset of Figure 2a, the
characteristic peak due to the decomposition of Ca(OH)2 is
shifted to lower temperature with the increase in jute contents
in cement matrix.
Analyzing the endothermic DSC peak due to Ca(OH)2
decomposition, Midgley23 and Abdelrazig et al.24 have
commented on the hydration kinetics of cement. It is reported
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Figure 3. (a) TGA plot (dotted line) of the control cement specimen water cured for 28 days. The differential TG plot (solid line) of the control
cement is also shown. (b) The estimated variation of mass loss (%) due to the decomposition of Ca(OH)2 with jute contents (%) in cement matrix.

Figure 4. (a) FTIR spectra of the control cement specimen water cured for 28 days. The vibration modes are indexed in the figure. (b) FTIR spectra
of control and jute modified cement specimens water cured for 28 days. (c) Experimental (□) and fitted curve () of the FTIR spectra of the
control cement specimen. The deconvoluted modes are indexed in the figure. (d) Variation of AO−H/AH−C ratio with jute contents (%) in cement
matrix (see text).

Table 1. Index of Vibration Modes of the FTIR Spectra of that polymeric additives in cement reduce the decomposition
Control Cement Specimen temperature of Ca(OH)2.25 By estimating the area under the
peak position endothermic peak due to Ca(OH)2 decomposition, one can
(cm−1) assignment estimate the enthalpy change (ΔH) associated with the
3638 O−H stretching of Ca(OH)2 decomposition reaction. For control and jute fiber reinforced
3400−3100 symmetric and asymmetric stretching (ν1 and ν3) of O−H cement specimens, we have estimated the respective enthalpy
vibrator of water molecules
changes of Ca(OH)2. The estimated enthalpy change is plotted
2928 asymmetric stretching of H−C bond present in organic
compound as a function of jute loading in Figure 2b. As shown in Figure
1649 ν2 deformation mode of molecular water H−O−H absorbed 2b, ΔH values are reduced exponentially with jute contents in
1477 and 1422 ν3 of CO32− cement matrix. Thus the ΔH of the control specimen,
978 ν3 stretching of Si−O bond of calcium silicate hydrate (C− estimated to be ∼88.3 J/g, is significantly reduced to 72.1 J/g
S−H) which accounts for polymerization of SiO44− units
present in C3S and C2S during hydration in 1% jute modified cement paste. The result is indicative of the
fact that the amount of hydration product Ca(OH)2 is reduced
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Figure 5. (a) XRD plot of the control cement specimen water cured for 28 days. The phases are indexed in the figure. (b) XRD plots of control and
jute modified cement specimens water cured for 28 days. (c) Experimental (□) and fitted curve () of the X-ray diffractogram of the control
cement specimen. The deconvoluted peaks are indexed in the figure. (d) Variation of Ap/Aa ratio with jute contents (%) in cement matrix (see text).
Figure 6. Variation of estimated free lime content (%) with jute
contents (%) in cement matrix. The amount of HCl required to yield
the end point in each case is also shown in the figure. The symbol ●
indicates the volume of HCl (mL) required for the titration, and the
symbol (■) indicates the estimated free lime content (%) of cement
specimens.
with the increase in jute contents. In other words, jute as
additive retards the hydration kinetics of cement.
3.2.2. Thermogravimetric Analysis. The effect of jute fiber
in retarding the hydration kinetics of cement is further
supported by thermogravimetric analyses. Figure 3a shows
the TG plot of control cement. The corresponding differential
plot is also shown in Figure 3a. Thermogravimetric analyses
have been used as a characterization tool to study the hydration
kinetics of cement.26,27 As shown in Figure 3a, the weight loss
up to 200 °C is attributed to be due to either surface adsorbed
water or loss of water from calcium silicate hydrate gel and
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ettringite. The subsequent weight loss up to 400 °C is
attributed to be due to the decomposition of various hydrated
silicate and aluminate compounds. The characteristic weight
losses at 444 °C and in the temperature range 590−675 °C are
attributed to be due to the decomposition of Ca(OH)2 and
carbonate phase, respectively.28 The mass losses due to the
Ca(OH)2 decomposition for control and jute fiber modified
cement specimens are plotted separately in Figure 3b. As
shown in Figure 3b, the mass loss due to Ca(OH) 2
decomposition reduces exponentially with the increases in
jute contents. This in turn indicates the amount of Ca(OH)2,
formed during cement hydration, reduces with the increase in
jute contents. These results are supportive of the fact that jute
as a reinforcing agent retards the hydration kinetics of cement
matrix.29,30
3.3. FTIR Spectroscopic Analysis. The hydration kinetics
of cement and jute modified cement is characterized using
Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Figure 4a shows the
FTIR spectrum of control cement sample hydrated for 28 days.
The IR spectra of the control and jute modified cement
specimens are plotted separately in Figure 4b. All the
absorption bands are indexed, and the assigned modes along
with their wavenumbers are tabulated in Table 1.31 As indicated
in Table 1, the absorption mode at ∼3638 cm−1 is indexed to
be due to O−H stretching of the portlandite (Ca(OH)2)
phase.32−34 The mode at ∼2928 cm−1 is due to asymmetric
stretching of the H−C bond from the organic moieties present
in the cement sample. Considering the mode at ∼2928 cm−1 as
an internal standard,35 the change in the intensity of the O−H
stretching mode of portlandite phase (in both control and jute
modified cement specimens) is estimated by fitting these
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Figure 7. Schematic of the plausible interactions between the metal cation in cement slurry (viz., Ca2+) and (a) leached hemicelluloses, (b) lignin,
and (c) cellulose in jute fibers.
modes using commercial software. The typical fitting and the
deconvoluted modes for the control specimen are shown in
Figure 4c. The ratio of the integrated area of the O−H
stretching mode and the asymmetric H−C mode (AO−H/AH−C)
is estimated from this fit. The estimated intensity ratio (AO−H/
AH−C) is plotted as a function of jute loading in Figure 4d. As
indicated in Figure 4d, the intensity ratio is estimated to be
∼0.39 for control and this value gradually decreases with the
increase of jute contents. This is indicative of the retardation
effect of jute fiber on cement hydration kinetics.36 Probably the
organic compounds present in the jute fiber retard the
hydration of C3A, C3S, and C2S phases and thereby the
amount of the hydration products (viz., Ca(OH)2, calcium
silicate hydrate (C−S−H), etc.) are reduced.
3.4. Structural Analysis (X-ray Diffraction). X-ray
diffraction analyses have been used as a characterization tool
to investigate the effect of jute fiber on the hydration
characteristics of cement. Figure 5a shows the X-ray diffracto-
gram of control cement sample hydrated for 28 days. The X-ray
diffraction patterns of the control and jute modified cement
samples are shown separately in Figure 5b. It is known that the
major constituents of portland pozzlana cement are alite (a)
[tricalcium silicate, C3S (Ca3SiO5)], belite (b) [dicalcium
silicate, C 2 S (Ca 2 SiO 4 )], tricalcium aluminate [C 3 A
(Ca 3 Al 2 O 6 )], and tetracalcium aluminoferrite [C 4 AF
(Ca4AlnFe2−nO7)].37,38 As compared to ordinary portland
cement (OPC), the portland pozzolana cement contains a
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substantial amount of quartz (q) and a minute quantity of
gypsum (g) as well. The hydration of alite and belite phases
produces Ca(OH)2 (p) (portlandite) and amorphous calcium−
silica−hydrate (C−S−H). All the diffraction peaks correspond-
ing to these phases in the water cured control cement specimen
are indexed in Figure 5a. As noted in Figure 5a, the
characteristic peak corresponding to portlandite phase (p)
appears at 2θ ∼ 18°. The diffraction peak of the major reactant
alite (a) is identified at 2θ ∼ 29.4°. Estimation of the ratio of
the integrated areas of the portlandite (p) and alite (a) peaks
could therefore be treated as the index of the degree of
hydration.39 The XRD pattern of the cured cement specimen
was fitted using commercial software (Peakfit 4.1, Jandel
Scientific), and Figure 5c shows the fitted and deconvoluted
XRD peaks in the 2θ range 15−40°. Similar fitting was also
performed of the XRD patterns of jute modified cement
samples (not shown). The estimated integrated peak area ratio
of the peaks corresponding to the portlandite (p) and alite (a)
phases (Ap/Aa) of the control sample and jute modified cement
samples are plotted as a function of jute contents in Figure 5 d.
As shown in Figure 5d, the estimated integrated peak area ratio
of the control sample (∼0.169) is reduced to 0.134 in 1% jute
modified cement sample and it decreases gradually with further
increase in jute loading. This phenomenon confirms that jute
retards the cement hydration reaction and this effect becomes
more prominent with the increase in jute loading.40
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Figure 8. Illustration of the hydration of control and jute fiber modified cement specimens. Schematic of the formation of an organic coating and
surface activated jute layer around the anhydrous or partially hydrated cement grains. Such layers would retard the diffusion of water molecules
required for cement hydration.
3.5. Estimation of Free Lime Content. The effect of jute
in retarding the cement hydration reaction is also supported by
the estimation of free lime content in the hydrated product.
Free lime is liberated during the hydration of cement, and the
amount of free lime is considered to be an indicator of the
cement hydration reaction.41,42 Thus, as the content of free
lime increases, the extent of the cement hydration reaction is
greater. Figure 6 shows the variation of the estimated free lime
with the jute contents in cement. The amount of HCl required
to yield the end point is also shown in Figure 6. As shown in
Figure 6, the free lime content is reduced exponentially with the
increase in jute contents. In line with the inference drawn
through the other characterization tools, free lime estimation
also indicates that the cement hydration is retarded with the
increase of jute contents in cement.
4. DISCUSSION
As outlined in section 3, by characterizing the jute fiber
modified hydrated cement specimens (using thermal, infrared
spectroscopy, and phase analyses and free lime estimation) we
have demonstrated that jute fiber as a reinforcing agent retards
the setting and hydration kinetics of cement. In general,
addition of different retarders such as sucrose, tartaric acid,
lignosulfonate, etc. slow down the cement hydration in the
following ways. Primarily, due to the addition of the retarders,
calcium ions form either insoluble salts or chelated compounds
and as a result the formation of calcium silicon based hydrated
(C−S−H) gel is delayed.15 Alternatively, the nucleation and
growth of hydrated products such as C−S−H or Ca(OH)2
could be inhibited due to the addition of these retarders.41
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Adsorption of the retarders on the surface of the partially
hydrated products could also inhibit the water diffusion, and as
a result the hydration kinetics is slowed down.15,42 Additives
such as sugar cane bagasse fibers and natural plant fiber extracts
also retard the cement hydration; however, the underlying
mechanism remains poorly understood.43,44 It is known that
the jute fibers contain organic components such as cellulose,
hemicelluloses, lignin, pectin, wax, etc. Water−cement slurry is
highly alkaline, and in such an alkaline medium many of these
organic components (viz., hemicelluloses, pectin, wax, etc.) of
the jute fibers are easily leached out. As these organic
components are leached out, the fiber surface becomes more
reactive. The leached-out components as well as the surface
modified jute fiber can interact with the metal cations of the
cement slurry. Figure 7 shows schematically the plausible
interactions between the metal cation in cement slurry (viz.,
Ca2+) with (Figure 7a) leached hemicelluloses, (Figure 7b)
lignin, and (Figure 7c) cellulose in jute fibers. The interaction
in turn reduces the metal ion concentration in cement slurry,
and as a result the nucleation of hydrated products (viz.,
Ca(OH)2, C−S−H gel, etc.) get delayed15,45 and eventually the
hydration kinetics are retarded. Another plausible mechanism
of retarded hydration is illustrated schematically in Figure 8.
Thus, for the case without any jute modification, the anhydrous
cement reacts with added water to form hydrated cement
products. The organic compounds leached out from the fiber
surface may form insoluble sugar moieties in highly alkaline
cement medium. As shown schematically in Figure 8, these
insoluble organic compounds may form a protective layer on
the partially hydrated cement grains. Alternatively, the surface
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modified jute fibers also form a bond with hydrated cement
product. Due to the formation of either a semipermeable
organic layer or bonding with surface modified jute fibers, the
water osmosis to the cement grain is slowed down resulting in
retarded hydration of cement grains.46
5. CONCLUSION
In the present work we have systematically studied the effect of
jute fiber on the setting and hydration behavior of portland
pozzolana cement. Both initial and final setting times as well as
the standard consistency of cement are found to be increased
with the increase in jute contents (up to 4 wt % with respect to
cement) in cement matrix. The difference between the initial
and final setting times also increases systematically with the
increase in jute contents. We have investigated the hydration
characteristics of unmodified and jute fiber modified cement
pastes using thermal analyses, infrared spectroscopy, structural
characterization, and free lime estimation. Analyzing these
experimental results, it was demonstrated that the hydration
kinetics of cement is retarded with the increase in jute contents
in cement matrixes. The prolonged setting of these fiber
reinforced cement composites would be beneficial for
applications where the premixed cement aggregates are
required to be transported from a distant place to the
construction site. Finally, a model has been proposed to
explain the retarded hydration kinetics of jute fiber reinforced
cement composites.
■
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
*
S Supporting Information
Effects of various additives on the setting and hydration
behavior of cement are tabulated. This material is available free
of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: subhasish@matsc.iitkgp.ernet.in. Tel.: +91 3222
283986 or +91 (0) 9433611775.
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
■
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The National Jute Board (formerly known as JMDC),
Government of India, is gratefully acknowledged for financial
support. S.P.K. gratefully acknowledges the financial support
received from CSIR, Government of India, through a research
fellowship.
■
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