COMPARATIVE BETWEEN POLYPROPYLENE FIBERS AND CELLULOSIC FIBER WITH SUPERABSORBENT POLYMER COPRODUCT AS ADDITION IN PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETES

Abstract

The utilization of industrial waste containing cellulose fiber (FC) and superabsorbent polymer (PSA) in the field of civil construction has been study since 2012. Recently, 2022, the research progressed towards obtaining a coproduct applied in Portland cement concretes. In this stage, it was observed that in addition to PSA serving as a curing agent, FC acts as reinforcement, a similar effect to that caused by polypropylene fibers. As the coproduct is in the process of being introduced for commercial use, the objective of this study is to compare the alterations in physical and mechanical properties generated by the insertion of polypropylene fiber and those generated by the coproduct, through a literature review.  The articles comprising the review are from journals ranking as A1 and A2, according to the CAPES’s QUALIS 2022 for Engineering I category. The parameters considered for selection were fiber length and consumption. According to Barth (2021), the addition of 0,75 kg/m³ of the coproduct to concrete increased compressive strength by 18%, improved tensile strength by 25%, and reduced plastic shrinkage by 71% compared to reference concrete. The studies included in the review indicate that reinforcement with polypropylene on average results in a 17,68% improvement in compressive strength. Meanwhile, tensile strength improved by 18,7% in the study by Liu et al (2022). According to Baričević et al (2018), shrinkage was reduced by 36,3%. Based on these data, it can be affirmed that the developed coproduct possesses technical characteristics to compete with polypropylene.