Addition of sugarcane bagasse fibers and MCM-41 silica nanoparticles synthesized from waste glass and their synergic effect on reinforced concrete properties

In this study, waste materials such as recycled glass employed to synthesize mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NPs) and/or sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) were used to reinforce concrete samples, and their properties were evaluated. The cement additions used in this study were 0.8% NPs (0.8N), 1% SBF (1F), or a combination of the two (0.8N-1F). The addition of 0.8N-1F slightly improved the mechanical performance of concrete and offered the greatest decrease in carbonation, likely because these materials had the fewest permeable voids. The thermodynamic properties at the concrete‒steel interface tended to be reduced when the components were added, and there were marked differences in the corrosion potential and corrosion kinetics in concrete with the addition of SBF and NPs. Each material enhanced the performance properties of concrete, but the combination of both materials had a positive synergistic effect on all the studied properties.