Production of bio-fiber cement using formulated bacterial cellulose blends as additive

Abstract

Previous researcher had focused to incorporate natural fibers as a part of the construction materials as well as in composites and gave promising results. Natural fibers can be applied in industries in order to promote sustainability features and also in producing practical products in the market. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of incorporating bacterial cellulose derived from fermentation to the mechanical properties of sand-cement block. Blocks samples with dimensions of 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm were casted by cement to sand (C:S) ratio of 1:2.5 with a fixed amount of bacterial cellulose fiber by 0.5% (w/w) cement and water to cement (w/c) ratio of 0.7. The compressive strength of sand-cement block incorporated with bacterial cellulose was evaluated for three different periods and the results achieved indicated that the compressive strength ranged between 10.94kN/mm 2 to 15.42kN/mm 2 whilst density showed values of 1748kg/m 3 to 1868kg/m 3 . In conclusion, bacterial cellulose fibers enhance the durability of bricks by increase their compressive strength up to 27% and reduce the permeability and density of the sand-cement block.