Rheological properties of cement pastes with cellulose microfibers

Abstract The rheological properties of cement pastes prepared using kenaf-plant cellulose microfibers (CMFs), which was incorporated for the purpose internal curing, were investigated. main test variables are length and mass fraction CMFs. CMFs lengths 400 ?m 5 mm included in mixtures at 0.3, 0.6, 1, 2 wt.% cement. Dry CMF particles wetted with water to fiber saturation point vacuum filtration immediately before mixing. An optimum shearing protocol designed minimize shear-induced structural breakdown under hysteresis loops shear strain rate. It consisted an initial pre-shearing step a high rate 80 1/s, three acceleration deceleration cycles maximum 40 rest each acceleration. mixtures’ flow curves well fitted Herschel–Bulkley fluid model minimum coefficient determination 0.9993. yield stress least 34.3% higher longer same dose. However, exhibited similar plastic viscosities variation only approximately 5.8%.