LAUSR

Abstract This work reports the mechanical, durability and insulating properties of novel geopolymer composites made of iron-rich laterite and sugarcane bagasse fibers with sodium silicate as a hardener. The results showed that the addition of fibers was beneficial for improving the fracture behavior of iron-rich laterite based geopolymer from brittle to ductile. The 28 days compressive strength ranges from 50 MPa to 14 MPa with the content of fibers. The modulus of elasticity was improved by 50% with only 3 wt% of fibers. The geopolymer composites perform well after 20 wet-dry cycles with the improvement of its ductility. The 28 days thermal conductivity decreases from 0.77 W/mK to 0.55 W/mK with the fibers content.