Thermal and mechanical performance of oil palm fiber reinforced mortar utilizing palm oil fly ash as a complementary binder

• Focus is on utilization of oil palm industry waste in mortar.
• Thermal performance of fiber reinforced mortar being is analyzed for various fiber proportions.
• Effect of oil palm fibers on physical and mechanical properties is assessed.
• Influence of fiber incorporation on drying shrinkage examined.

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the recycling potential of oil palm industrial waste which is abundantly available in Malaysia that is posing serious environmental concerns. Much research has been undertaken regarding the processing of palm oil production waste, however there is lack of attention regarding the thermal performance of oil palm waste and its attended mechanical properties as fiber reinforced mortar, stifling its wide applicability within the construction industry. This paper focuses on the utilization of oil palm residue to develop thermally insulated building envelope material. The palm oil fly ash is used as a replacement for cement, and the oil palm fibers are incorporated as an additive to reduce thermal conductivity of wall systems. Various proportions of fiber reinforced mortar were prepared to study the effects of fibers on thermal and mechanical performance. Thermal performance was studied using steady state approach by using Hot Guarded Plate apparatus. The experimental findings have revealed that the porous nature of fiber makes it a suitable choice for enhancing thermal performance of mortar, with some acceptable reduction of mechanical strength and marginal fluctuations in flexural strength.