Evaluation of pre-treatment efficiency on sugarcane bagasse fibers for the production of cement composites

In the present study, physical, chemical, morphological, crystallographic analysis of the non-treated and treated (100 °C during 30 min) sugarcane bagasse fibers were examined. Sugarcane bagasse fibers pre-treatment effect on the Portland cement hydration was monitored by inhibition tests and differential scanning calorimetry in the first 24 h. Furthermore, 28 days age physical-mechanical properties of cement composite materials with sugarcane bagasse fibers were also evaluated. Inhibition index of treated sugarcane bagasse fibers was 5.9%, while for the non-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers it was 67.3%. Cement composites containing treated sugarcane bagasse fibers showed lower physical properties (water absorption and thickness swelling) than the cement composites reinforced with non-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers (p < 0.05). Likewise, mechanical properties under flexure (modulus of rupture, MOR, and modulus of elasticity, MOE) of cement composites with treated sugarcane bagasse fibers showed higher values than the cement composites with non-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers (p < 0.05), thus proving the pre-treatment efficiency on sugarcane bagasse fibers for cement composites.