Plasma treatment of polymeric fibers for improved performance in cement matrices

The surfaces of collated fibrillated polypropylene fibers and monofilament polyolefin fibers were treated by low-temperature cascade arc plasma with different gases to study the effect of interface treatment on the mechanical performance and toughening in fiber-reinforced concrete composites. Results from static flexural tests conducted in a four-point configuration on 17 concrete mixes including one unreinforced control mix, 4 mixes with untreated fibers (two volume contents for each of two fiber types—fibrillated and monofilament), and 12 mixes with plasma-treated fibers (two volume contents, above two fiber types, and three plasma treatments) are presented and discussed. It is concluded that plasma treatment of polymeric fibers is effective in improving the flexural performance and toughness of fiber reinforced concrete composites. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 1985–1996, 2000