Effect of Sepiolite on Mechanical and Physical Properties of Fiber Cement

In the time since asbestos was banned, new mixtures have been studied to obtain a product with similar properties to the asbestos-cement sheets in the Hatschek process. The aim of this research is to study the effect of two different sepiolites on the physical and mechanical properties of roofing fiber-cement sheets when they contain natural fibers or mixtures of synthetic and natural fibers. Studied properties included bulk density, water absorption, permeable void volume, modulus of rupture, proportional limit, specific energy, and modulus of elasticity. The results showed that fiber-cement sheets containing sepiolite had better performance in terms of flexural strength and that the characteristics of the sepiolite selected played a key role in the development of the mechanical properties of the fiber-cement products.