Influence of Surface Morphology of Fibers on the Tensile and Flexural Ductility of Polypropylene-Reinforced Cementitious Composites

Abstract

The surface morphology of fibers influence the global performance of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites. Commercially available polypropylene fibers may be coated with polyglycol ester to facilitate the fiber production process; this coating cannot be detected easily. In this study, it was demonstrated that, although the coating does not change the mechanical strength and elongation at break of a single polypropylene fiber, the interface bonding characteristics of polypropylene fibers with the cement matrix are modified by the coating; this leads to changes in global mechanical performance (which are characterized by the tensile and flexural response) of the composite.