Influence of microcrystalline cellulose on workability and mechanical performance of cementitious composites

In the present research, cementitious composites have been developed using micro crystalline cellulose (MCC) as reinforcement and characterized for workability and mechanical performance. The MCC/cement composites were developed using homogenous aqueous suspensions of MCC. Homogenous dispersion of MCC in water was achieved by using magnetic stirring of pre-soaked MCC powder. The flow behaviour of freshly prepared mortar paste containing different loadings of MCC was characterized. It was noted that with the increase of MCC %, the flow values of resultant samples started to decrease. The effect of MCC on mechanical performance of cementitious composites was studied by performing flexural and compression tests. The samples at different hydration periods were also characterized for compressive properties to study the influence of hydration time on mechanical performance. An increase of 20.5% in flexural strength was achieved by incorporating 0.6% MCC in cement mortar after 28 days of hydration. Compressive strength also improved considerably using 0.2% MCC up to 28 days of hydration, after which less improvement was noticed