Properties of natural fiber cement materials containing coconut coir and oil palm fibers for residential building applications

This article presents an investigation of the properties of natural fiber based composite building materials that is applicable for hot and humid climatic regions. These materials were made of cement mortar containing coconut coir fiber and oil palm fiber, both waste products from agricultural manufacturing in Thailand. They are intended to be used as roof sheet and siding to reduce heat transfer through buildings and energy conservation. The investigation focused mainly on the effects of both cellulose fibers on the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of products. Test results showed that increasing the percentage replacement of natural fibers tends to reduce the density, compressive strength and flexural strength of the materials. Fiber cement products mixed with coconut fiber yielded lower density than that of oil palm fiber. The mixtures of fiber cement products containing up to 15% of both natural fibers by weight of binder yielded the acceptable physical and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the natural fiber cement sheets was 60% less than that of the control specimen. The results of this research can be used as a guideline for using agricultural residues to develop fiber cement products for residential building applications.