Study of the effect of alkaline palm fiber treatment time on the mechanical behavior of red clay materials from the region of M'sila

This work is part of the development of local materials, such as vegetable fiber (palm fiber) and red clay from southern Algeria, widely used in the preparation of bricks as rural building materials. Vegetal fibers have very interesting properties, they are: renewable, biodegradable and low cost / lightness ratio. Their mechanical properties are very important. However, the predominant problem in this type of composite material is the weak adhesion of the matrix-fiber interface, probably attributed to the nature of the surface and the hydrophobic character of the natural fibers, thus leading to weak mechanical properties for the material, envisaged composite. The purpose of this study is to treat palm fiber with a basic solution of sodium hydroxide (4% w/v NaOH) for varying periods of time: 3, 7, 24 and 48 hours to improve interfacial adhesion. The results obtained from the tests carried out on the composite reinforced with palm fibers treated during 7 hours, showed a clear increase as regards the resistance to bending and compression; it is respectively of the order of 57 and 60%, compared to the composite reinforced by the untreated fibers. It can be deduced that palm fibers can be considered as one of the suitable materials for clay reinforcement. © EDP Sciences, 2019.