Impact of metakaolin on mechanical performance of flax textile-reinforced cement-based composites
Filip Majstorović, Václav Sebera, Maruša Mrak, Matej Dolenec, Marco Wolf, Laetitia Marrot
Abstract
This study presents research on the effect of Portland cement (PC) replacement with metakaolin on the mechanical behavior of flax textile-reinforced cementitious matrices (TRCM). The composition of cementitious matrices and in-situ flax fibres was determined using X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, while the reinforcement efficiency of the textile and mechanical behavior of TRCMs was investigated by three-point bending tests and finite element analysis. High amounts of PC replacement with metakaolin provided a calcium hydroxide-free environment, more suitable for the natural fibres, to avoid their degradation and embrittlement and, thus, significantly contribute to the ductility of the cement-based composite material.