Improved durability of vegetable fiber reinforced cement composite subject to accelerated carbonation at early age

This work presents the improved mechanical properties of eucalyptus pulp reinforced cementitious composites produced by the slurry-dewatering and pressing technique. They were subjected to accelerated carbonation after 2 days of controlled curing, which was investigated aiming to find a durable composite with vegetable pulp as an exclusive reinforcement. The effect of carbonation curing on the mechanical, physical, and microstructural properties of composites at 28 days of age, after 200 and 400 accelerated aging cycles and one year of natural weathering was evaluated. The interaction of the reduction in Ca(OH)(2) content, the increase in CaCO3 content, the lower porosity, the higher density and the good fiber-matrix adhesion can explain the better mechanical performance after the aging conditions, indicating the improved durability of carbonated composites. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.