Desempeño ambiental de fibras naturales de abacá versus fibras sintéticas en morteros de cemento.

Abstract

One of the significant issues that humanity has been facing since the 20th century is global warming. Statistically, the production of cement used in the construction industry accounts for 8% of CO2 emissions on the planet, with a tendency to increase over the years. That is why, through this research, mortar was compared with polypropylene fiber and mortar with abaca fiber subjected to a 3% NaOH treatment, where the carbon footprint emitted by each was measured using the OpenLCA software, which performs life cycle analysis (LCA). In addition, physical tests were conducted on both fresh and hardened mortars based on current standards. The results showed that the composite with natural fiber exhibits better mechanical properties in compression, flexion, and traction compared to the mortar with synthetic fiber. TGA and SEM tests were carried out, demonstrating that the treatment cycles of natural fiber with sodium hydroxide were effective up to the 10th treatment. Finally, the LCA results demonstrated that the natural fiber composite is more sustainable and ecofriendlier than the synthetic fiber composite.