Wet/dry cycling durability of cement mortar composites reinforced with micro and nano-scale cellulose pulps

A combination of reinforcements at different levels can have a synergetic effect on the final properties of a composite. The aim of this work was to produce, evaluate, and compare the wet/dry cycling durability of the exposure of cement composites reinforced with conventional pulps at the micro-scale level, with nanofibrillated cellulose fibers at the nano-scale level, and with combinations of both reinforcements (hybrid composites). To evaluate the durability of their mechanical properties, the composites were tested under flexural loading after 28 days of humidity chamber curing and after 20 wet/dry accelerating aging cycles. Composites reinforced with the nanofibrillated cellulose exhibited significant lyhigher flexural strength and flexural modulus, but they had lower fracture energy values than those reinforced with conventional sisal fibers. Moreover, the hybrid composites with a high content of nanofibrillated cellulose maintained or even improved their properties after aging