Modeling and Optimization of Date Palm Fiber Reinforced Concrete Modified with Powdered Activated Carbon under Elevated Temperature

Abstract

Date palm fiber (DPF) is one of the abundant solid waste materials in the agriculture sector in Saudi Arabia, and it is gaining great attraction due to its advantages compared to synthetic and other natural fibers. For proper utilization of DPF in cementitious composites, its performance under high temperatures needs to be understood. This is because DPF is a cellulose-based agricultural fiber material and is expected to degrade when subjected to high temperatures. This will cause a significant loss in strength and structural integrity of the composites. The use of Pozzolanic materials has been reported to reduce the loss in mechanical properties of cementitious composites under high temperatures. With powdered activated carbon (PAC) being a low-cost material compared to other Pozzolanic materials, this study utilized PAC as an additive to the DPF-reinforced concrete to mitigate its loss in mechanical strength when exposed to elevated temperature. The experiment was designed using response surface methodology (RSM), which was used to construct mathematical models for estimating the strengths of the concrete exposed to high temperatures. The DPF was added at proportions of 1%, 2%, and 3% by weight of cement. Similarly, the PAC was added at 1%, 2%, and 3% by weight of cement to the concrete. The concrete was subjected to elevated temperatures of 300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C for a 2 h exposure period. The degradation of the concrete in terms of mass loss and the compressive strength of the concrete after heating were measured. DPF in the concrete led to an escalation in weight loss and reduction in strength, which was more pronounced at a temperature of 600 °C and above. The addition of PAC resulted in an enhancement in the strengths of the concrete containing up to 2% DPF at 300 °C, while at 600 °C the improvement was minimal. The models developed for predicting the mass loss and strengths of the DPF-reinforced concrete under high temperatures were statistically significant with a high correlation degree. Based on the optimization results, DPF-reinforced concrete produced with 1% DPF, and 2.27% PAC as additives and subjected to a temperature of 300 °C for 2 h yielded the lowest mass loss of 2.05%, highest residual compressive strength and relative strength of 45.85 MPa and 106.7% respectively.

Improvement the brittle Resistance of High-Strength Concrete through Palm Leaf Sheath Fibers and Rice Straw Fibers

“…On the other hand, the mixes with 1%, 2%, and 3% PLSF showed improved connection between the two halves of the specimen under tension and showed small cracks along both the longitudinal and cross and sections of the specimen. These failure shapes that forms due to STS align well with the ndings of other researchers [70,71].…”

The effect of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene addition on the degradation in the mechanical properties of the PP/wood composites

“…The method of designing experiments (DOE) has gained significant popularity in the fields of mechanical [ 27 ] and materials science engineering [ [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] ]. For example, DOE has been utilized by materials science researchers to determine the mechanical properties of metal matrix composites [ 30 ] and to assess the optimal composition of recycled polypropylene/rubberwood flour composites [ 32 ].…”

Predicting the strengths of date fiber reinforced concrete subjected to elevated temperature using artificial neural network, and Weibull distribution

“…For example, when steel is used in areas of alkaline or chlorine environment, there is high risk of corrosion compared to when reinforced concrete is used. Similarly, in high temperature exposure, plastics, steel and timber tends to loss their structural integrity faster than concrete 1 , 2 . Even with concrete, long-time exposure to high temperature causes significant loss in structural integrity and strength.…”

“…Several factors influence the behavior of concrete when exposed to high temperature. These includes the type and properties of the aggregates used, the type and amount of cement, additives and supplementary cementitious materials added, type and amount of fiber added if any 2 , 5 . To minimize the undesirable effects of elevated temperature on the properties and performance of concrete, it is necessary to be cautious when choosing the basic materials for making the concrete.…”

“…As the heat reaches 400 °C, Portlandites disintegration transpires, and when the temperature reaches 600 °C, the disintegration of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) takes places. At about 800 °C, the loss in the hydration products through decomposition becomes highly severe, resulting in substantial loss in compressive strength, ductility, integrity, and durability of the concrete 2 , 6 , 7 .…”