Performance Of Kenaf Fibrous Pulverised Fuel Ash Concrete In Acidic Environment

Abstract

Kenaf Fibrous Pulverised Fuel Ash Concrete (KFPC) is a green concrete that using the plant fibre in order to enhance the strength and durability of composite material in an aggressive environment. Four mixes of concrete were prepared to compare the performance of concrete in an acidic environment which are Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) samples, Kenaf Fibrous Concrete (KFC) using OPC, PFA concrete samples and KFPC. The 25mm length and 0.75% of kenaf fibre and 25% of Pulverised Fuel Ash of cement replacement were used for the study. The objective of the study is to investigate the compressive and flexural strength of KFPC in 365 days of sulfuric acid immersion. The mass loss result shows the degradation of concrete in acid was improved with the inclusion of pozzolana material. Kenaf Fibre has increased the tensile strength of concrete and the addition PFA enhances the durability. The microstructural analysis through SEM and EDX analysis has been carried out to examine the condition of fibre in concrete. The results showed that a significant loss of strength and mass due to the duration of immersion, however, KFPC has contributed the better performance in an aggressive environment.