Performance evaluation of sustainable concrete comprising waste polypropylene food tray fibers and palm oil fuel ash exposed to sulfate and acid attacks

Abstract

Sulfate and acid attacks cause material degradation, which is a severe durability concern for cementitious materials. The performance of concrete composites comprising waste plastic food trays (WPFTs) as low-cost fibers and palm oil fuel ash (POFA) exposed to acid and sulfate solutions has been evaluated in an immersion period of 12 months. In this study, visual assessment, mass variation, compressive strength, and microstructural analyses are investigated. For ordinary Portland cement (OPC), six concrete mixtures, including 0–1% WPFT fibers with a length of 20 mm, were prepared. In addition, another six mixtures with similar fiber dosages were cast, with 30% POFA replacing OPC. It was discovered that adding WPFT fibers and POFA to concrete reduced its workability. POFA concrete mixes were found to have higher long-term compressive strength than OPC concrete mixes cured in water. As a result of the positive interaction between POFA and WPFT fibers, both the crack formation and spalling of concrete samples exposed to acid and sulfate solutions were reduced, as was the strength loss. The study’s findings show that using WPFT fibers combined with POFA to develop a novel fiber-reinforced concrete subjected to chemical solutions is technically and environmentally feasible. WPFT fibers have a significant protective effect on concrete against chemical attacks.