Modification of short sugarcane bagasse fibres for application in cementitious composites: A statistical approach to mechanical and physical properties

This work describes the physical and compressive properties of cement composites reinforced with short bagasse fibres to promote the recycling of sugarcane residues. Stearic acid and castor oil reagents are used as fibre modifiers leading to a hydrophobic character. A 32 factorial Design of Experiment (DoE) is used to evaluate the fibre amount and treatment factors statistically. A reference mortar is made to compare the results. Treated fibre composites achieve higher mechanical properties and lower physical properties. The low amount of fibres leads to superior responses, except for apparent density. A DoE optimisation shows that cementitious composites with 2 wt% of stearic acid-treated fibres achieve optimal mechanical and physical properties. Mechanical responses increase by up to 22.25%, while physical responses reduce by up to 20.46% in relation to the reference mortar. Short fibres treated with stearic acid can improve the physical and mechanical properties of mortars for secondary applications in civil construction.