Gypsum panels and blocks represent a good economical method for the manufacture of partitions and walls, since the raw material cost as well as the labor cost are cheap, besides the ease of decoration. Their main drawbacks are the high-water permeability and their poor mechanical strength. In the present paper, polypropylene (PP) fibers were blended with plaster in an attempt to improve the properties of these products. It was found that the addition of PP fibers reduces the porosity, decreases the setting time and enhances the mechanical strength. The optimum composition was found to consist of plaster blended with 50% water, 10% sand and 500 g/m 3 PP fibers of length 30-50 mm.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.