POTENTIAL USE OF CARPOLOBIA LUTEA FIBER AS A SUSTAINABLE REINFORCEMENT IN CEMENT-BASED COMPOSITE ROOFING TILES

High performance behaviour and eco- balance are basic parameters of evolving materials. The potential use of sustainable plant fibre- reinforced composites has garnered research interest within the industrial space. PFCs have shown 60 % – 80 % of the tensile strength in bamboo compared with that in E- glass fiber. This record encourages the use of C. lutea fiber cement- based composite for roofing provided that strict measures are taken to reduce the effects of fiber degradation and water absorption. This study explores the feasibility of manufacturing roofing materials from cement- based composite reinforced with plant fibers. C. lutea stems were obtained from the wild, cleaned, sundried, and pulverized using a hammer mill. The fibers passing through British Sieve 425 µm and 600 µm sieves were used for the AOAC –based proximate analysis. The fibers were chemically digested using sodium hydroxide (10% w/v) and, acetic acid with acetic anhydride compound. FTIR spectroscopy was conducted on the pre-treated fiber residue. Triplicate samples of 150 mm - 50 mm - 6 mm cement composite reinforced with Carpolobia lutea were produced using different fiber sizes (425 µm and 600 µm), and at cement; fiber mixing ratios of 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07 (by mass).Water added at a water/cement ratio of 0.5 was maintained for both pretreated and untreated fibers reinforced cement composites. The conventional control samples were cured in water for 28 days and, compared with treated fiber composite samples to evaluate their sorption and strength properties. The moisture content of the extractive components was 1.57%, and ash content 2.62% of the extractive components were relatively low compared with other plant fibers. Caustic soda was 19.83%, hot and cold water were 13.15% and 8.25%, were moderate. And cellulose and lignin contents obtained were 46.93% and 27.78%, respectively. The FTIR spectra of the pretreated fibers showed peaks at 3340 cm-1, 2953 cm-1, 2853cm-1, 2923 cm-1 and 1034 cm-1 indicating the presence O-H, CH2,-CH-, and –C-O- functional groups, respectively. The caustic soda slightly enhances O-H group around 3300cm-1 and lignin at a record high value of 1600cm-1.Similarly, acetyl anhydride modification improved the intensity of carbonyl C= O and C-O at 1735 cm-1 and 1040cm-1 respectively Acetylated treated fiber among other pretreated fibers reinforced cement composites produced, the acetylated treated fiber had the highest impact, having a slightly low density range (1445.18 – 1597.94kg/m3) at a moisture content (7.31 - 11.11%); water absorption (3.47 - 7.61%), and thickness swelling (0.06 - 2.24%) compared with those of the untreated samples. The highest values of moduli of elasticity (328.35 - 656 N/m²) and rupture (3.06–5.37 N/m²) at the 7 % acetylated fiber level were within allowable limits, Also, the composite reinforced with fiber, using size 600µm generally demonstrated improved strength compared to the composites reinforced and produced with Carpolobia lutea fiber, size of 425µm. This study confirms the feasibility of manufacturing fiber reinforced composite roofing and ceiling materials with treated acetylated fiber.