Synthesis and characterization of mechanical properties in cotton fiber-reinforced geopolymer composites

Geopolymers are inorganic aluminosilicate materials that possess relatively good mechanical properties and desirable thermal stability but they exhibit failure behavior similar to brittle solids. This limitation may be remedied by fiber reinforcement to improve their strength and toughness. This paper describes the synthesis of cotton fiber-reinforced geopolymer composites and the characterization of their mechanical properties. The effects of cotton fiber content (0–1.0 wt.%) and fiber dispersion on the mechanical characteristics of geopolymer composites have been investigated in terms of hardness, impact strength and compressive strength. A fiber content of 0.5 wt.% was observed for achieving optimum mechanical properties in these composites.