Evaluation of Different Treatment Methods of Natural Açai Fibers (Euterpe Oleracea Mart.) for Cement Composites

The use of natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLF) favors a series of properties, such as mechanical strength, when used in cementitious composites. Brazil, due to its climatic and geographical characteristics, has a variety of natural fibers that can be used in cementitious composites. The objective of this work was to evaluate the characteristics of different mortars in the hardened state reinforced with the addition of açaí fiber, exposed to three different methodologies of surface treatment: (i) immersion in a solution of sodium; (ii) potassium hydroxides and (iii) calcium hydroxides, all in a concentration of 10% in relation to the mass of water. Mortars with a mixture of 1:3 (cement: sand) ratio, in mass, were made to reinforce structures with additions 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 0% (reference) of the açaí fiber, in relation to the cement mass. The results were analyzed by statistical tests and demonstrated that the treatments with potassium hydroxide (KOH) showed the best results.