Effects of a defoamer on the compressive strength and tensile behavior of alkali-activated slag-based cementless composite reinforced by polyethylene fiber

The pore characteristic is a factor that influences on the mechanical properties of composites; the characteristic can be controlled by a defoamer. This paper presents an experimental study on the effect of a defoamer on the compressive strength and tensile behavior of alkali-activated slag-based cementless composite reinforced by polyethylene fiber. Three types of mixtures were made according to the amount of defoamer and the compressive strength, tensile behavior, density, and pore size distribution were measured. Test results show that the compressive strength and tensile behavior of the alkali-activated slag-based polyethylene fiber reinforced composite investigated in this study can be improved by including a small amount of defoamer in the composite.