posted on 2013-01-23, 00:00authored bySumit Chakraborty, Sarada P. Kundu, Aparna Roy, Basudam Adhikari, S. B. Majumder
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. The hydration characteristics
of fiber reinforced cement were investigated using a variety of analytical
techniques including 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.