Properties of gypsum composites containing vermiculite and polypropylene fibers: Numerical and experimental results

• The influence of vermiculite and polypropylene fibers in gypsum properties have been studied.
• The use of FEM and DOE analyses allows the optimization of additive ratios of gypsum composites.
• Vermiculite addition increases thermal performance of gypsum composites.

We have added expanded vermiculite and polypropylene fibers with low thermal conductivity to lightweight gypsum. Thermal conductivity of the composites decreases on addition of vermiculite as pore-maker. Physical and mechanical properties of the composites are improved by incorporating polypropylene fibers. A nonlinear finite element model of a three point bending model and a design of experiments analysis have been developed to evaluate and optimize the additive concentrations and also to understand the effects provided by the additives on the mechanical strength. Statistical response surface method with three-level factorial was employed to evaluate the effect of addition of vermiculite and polypropylene fibers on gypsum composites. Our methodology can be applied to other nonlinear materials for property optimization.