VALORIZATION OF PLANT BIOMASS, SUGARCANE BAGASSE AND MILLET PODS TO PRODUCE A CEMENTITIOUS MATRIX COMPOSITE

Abstract

The rising cost of fossil fuels and the environmental impact inherent in the manufacture of building materials have prompted the exploration of alternative sources of production. Plant biomass, a renewable resource, is now emerging as an attractive alternative for the production of building materials, as demonstrated by a number of studies. This study focuses on the use of sugarcane bagasse fibers and millet pods as reinforcements in lightweight cementitious composites. The formulation was carried out using the design of experiments method, in particular mix designs. Four essential factors were taken into account, notably the quantities of cement, water and each reinforcement. Based on the literature review, a Water/Cement ratio of 0.5 was assumed for the production of the test specimens. After the mechanical and physical characterization tests carried out on the composites, an interaction was established between the fiber content and the three-point bending tensile and compressive strengths. As a result, the form of composite with a fiber content of 3% achieves a maximum flexural strength of 9.542 MPa, while another with a fiber content of 1.5% achieves a maximum compressive strength of 25.978 MPa at 28 days. These findings showed that the fibers improved the flexural strength of the composites as a function of time, compared with the control material. In the compressive strength range, however, they do not provide any significant resistance, but on the contrary promote an increase in voids.