Fiber/cement interface tailoring with plasma treatment

A comprehensive study on the optimal conditions of plasma treatment of polyethylene fibers on their interfacial property with cement matrix is reported in this paper. Single fiber pullout tests were performed for bond property evaluation. With the optimal treatment conditions, a sixfold increase in bond strength or sevenfold increase in interfacial toughness can be achieved separately. Furthermore, a distinct interfacial chemical bond, compared to common frictional bond was observed for the first time in the polyethylene/cement systems. On the matrix side, matrix modifiers such as high alumina cement and PVA powder were also studied to examine their additional influence on the interface properties. Some preliminary results of the stability of plasma treatment are also reported in this paper.