Plasma treatment of polypropylene fibers presents a new progressive method, how to increase the utility properties of these fibers. The thesis is focused on verifying the effect of surface treatment of polypropylene fibers in concrete with low-temperature plasma discharge in the normal atmosphere. The paper describes the procedure for treatment of polypropylene fibers with low-temperature plasma and evaluate the impact of this adjustment on the volume changes of cement composites. It should also be emphasized that the thesis is focused on the initial volume changes, ie volume changes in the early stages of solidification and only for your own mixture, which is not considered an external load. Subsequently, the experimental verification of the effect of the addition made commercially available fibers and fibers treated plasma volume changes to a selected physico-mechanical properties of the test compounds.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to focus on the resistance of concrete exposed to high temperatures especially with focus of resistance against explosive spalling as well as clarifying the mode of action of various types of polypropylene fibres. The theoretical part is an introduction to the issues of explosive spalling, its mechanisms and majority influencing factors. Further description of the processes taking place in the structure of concrete under extreme thermal load, distribution and size of pores in concrete, thermal load, temperature-time curves and their applications, methods of elimination of negative behaviour of concrete exposed to thermal loading (passive and active methods), mode of action of polypropylene fibres and more is also included in the theoretical part. The main aim of experimental part is to verify the function of polypropylene fibers of various Melt Flow Indexes (MFI) and dosage. Primarily, the test samples with content of the PP-fibers are compared to the reference sample without fibers. Secondarily, the samples with standard PP-fibers (with MFI 25) with dosage 2.0 kg/m3 are compared to samples with modified PP-fiber (with MFI 2500) of dosage 0.9 kg/m3. Photogrammetric images were used for evaluation and comparison of spalled surfaces and its depth. Determination of the softening temperature and melting point of the modified and standard PP-fibers was made by using a high temperature microscope video. The second part of the experimental work was to define concrete permeability at different temperatures and pressures. Permeability was measured at temperatures of 20°C, 90°C, 150°C, 175°C, 200°C, 225°C and 250°C and at pressure of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 MPa.

Estudos anteriores utilizando matriz cimentícia reforçada exclusivamente com fibras vegetais propiciaram a produção de telhas com desempenho aceitável nas idades iniciais. Porém, com o envelhecimento natural, as telhas apresentaram significativa redução do desempenho mecânico, fato este atribuído principalmente ao ataque alcalino da matriz cimentícia. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo o aprimoramento de telhas onduladas de fibrocimento sem amianto, a partir de processo automatizado. A primeira etapa do trabalho consistiu na avaliação do efeito da intensidade de refino da polpa Kraft de sisal (Agave sisalana) nas propriedades mecânicas e físicas de placas planas baseadas em matriz de cimento Portland, e o uso conjunto com fibras de poliproprileno (PP). Esta etapa envolveu também a caracterização dos principais atributos das polpas celulósicas refinadas, bem como a caracterização microestrutural (microscopia eletrônica de varredura e porosimetria por intrusão de mercúrio) do material resultante após envelhecimento acelerado e em ambiente natural. Na segunda etapa, séries de telhas onduladas de fibrocimento foram produzidas por técnica de sucção do excesso de água e prensagem, utilizando os melhores parâmetros definidos na etapa anterior. Os efeitos da cura acelerada em autoclave e dos envelhecimentos acelerados (carbonatação acelerada, imersão-secagem e calor-chuva) nas propriedades mecânicas e físicas das telhas foram avaliados. Os resultados obtidos mostraram a grande contribuição do refino da polpa celulósica na melhoria da resistência dos compósitos. Altas intensidades de refino apresentaram os melhores resultados para compósitos reforçados somente com polpa celulósica, mesmo após os envelhecimentos, porém intensidades intermediárias em compósitos híbridos mostraram-se suficientes. A adição das fibras de polipropileno como reforço híbrido teve como ponto forte a manutenção da resistência ao impacto, propriedade esta fortemente afetada pelo envelhecimento acelerado nos compósitos reforçados somente com polpa de sisal. As telhas produzidas mostraram-se mais eficientes no amortecimento térmico do que telhas comerciais de fibrocimento amianto. Melhorias no processo de produção das telhas mostraram efetiva contribuição no desempenho mecânico em relação aos trabalhos anteriores, tanto no curto como no longo prazo. Os resultados também indicaram a utilização da carbonatação acelerada como um procedimento eficiente na mitigação da degradação sofrida pelas fibras celulósicas em meios menos agressivos, no caminho para tornar viáveis os materiais reforçados com fibras vegetais. / Previous studies using exclusively vegetal fibres as the sole reinforcement of cement matrix have propitiated the production of roofing tiles with acceptable performance at the first ages. However, with the natural ageing, the roofing tiles have presented significant reduction in the mechanical performance, attributed to the alkaline attack of the cimentitious matrix mainly. The present research had as objective the improvement of undulate fibrecement roofing tiles without asbestos with automated equipment for production. The study also evaluated the physical, mechanical and microstructural behaviour of the obtained composites. The first stage consisted of evaluating the refinement effect of sisal Kraft pulp on mechanical and physical properties of flat pads based on Ordinay Portland cement and the jointly use of polypropylene fibres (PP). This stage also involved the characterization of the main attributes of refined cellulosic pulps, as well as the microstructural characterization (scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry) of the resultant material after the accelerated and natural ageing. In the second stage, series of fibrecement roofing tiles were produced by slurry dewatering technique and pressing, using the best parameters of the first stage. Efects of autoclaved curing and accelerated ageing (accelerated carbonation, soak-dry and heat-rain) on mechanical and physical properties of tiles were evaluated. Results showed the great contribution of pulp refinement on mechanical strengh improvement. Higher intensities of refinement provided the best results for composites only reinforced with sisal pulp, despite ageing mechanism. Intermediate refinement revealed to be enough for hybrid composites. Adition of polypropylene fibres as hybrid reinforcement provided toughness maintenance after ageing, which was strongly affected only in sisal reinforced composites. Asbestos free tiles showed to be more efficient on thermal insulating properties than commercial asbestos cement. Improvements on tiles production process showed effective contribution on mechanical performance in relation to the previous works, both at initial ages and after ageing. The results have also indicated the utilization of accelerated carbonation as an effective procedure to mitigate the degradation suffered by the cellulosic fibres in the less aggressive medium, in way of the viability of the cement based materials reinforced by vegetal fibres.