Study of the influence of sorted polymeric optical fibers (POFs) in samples of a light-transmitting cement-based material (LTCM)

The aim of the present work is to investigate the mechanical behavior of LTCM (light-transmitting cement-based material) reinforced with POF (polymeric optical fiber) at three fiber contents (2%, 3.5%, and 5%) arranged in an orderly manner and compare it to the reference specimen free of fiber (% 0). To prepare the LTCM samples, Portland cement, fine aggregate, additive (silica fume), superplasticizer, POFs and water were used. The laboratory tests were determined in order to verify if the material addressed is suitable enough for commercial and structural (more than 30 MPa) application. The results obtained showed that the worsening of the mechanical properties of the composites and low grip of the fiber/matrix can be attributed to the parallel arrangement of the fibers and to the POF extremely smooth surface, thus compromising the grip. The POF did not effectively serve as a structural reinforcement and the SEM analysis revealed many gaps in this transition area, making it a porous and brittle material. The light transmittance increased with the fiber content increasing up to 5% POF. Considering the evaluating indicators, the present solution (for composites with up to 5% POF) is still suitable enough for commercial and structural application. In general LTCM is becoming a high-tech material that provides excellent performance and a wide range of applications but requires competent design and execution.