Physical, Thermal and Mechanical Characterization of Raffia Palm and Composite Materials with Cement Matrix Reinforced with Raffia Fibers and Other Similar Species

The accentuation of climate variations is an additional constraint that challenges almost all countries in the world and for which urgent actions are required to counter the harmful effects caused by these phenomena such as floods, excessive heat, acute drought, late and violent rains, etc. Among these urgent measures, we can cite, among others, the protection of the environment for sustainable development in all sectors of human activity. In the construction or building sub-sector, it is urgent to use environmentally friendly materials capable of reducing the carbon footprint compared to the conventional construction materials. The work entitled " Physical, thermal, mechanical characterization of the raffia palm and composite materials with cement matrix reinforced with raffia fibers as well as other similar species: state of the art", fits well within this framework and aims to summarize the work related to natural fibers in particular cement matrix composites, a local resource available in Africa. In this review of scientific literature, our attention is focused on the potential use of natural fibers as reinforcement in the cement matrix. The work of several researchers has demonstrated that the orientation of the fibers has only a negligible effect on thermal conductivity. On the other hand, certain varieties of palm trees, such as the date palm, influence this thermal conductivity, with an average value measured at 0.083W.m-1.K-1 under atmospheric pressure. Regarding mechanical properties, palm fibers have a tensile strength ranging from 97 to 197 MPa, a Young's modulus ranging from 2.5 to 5.4 GPa, and an elongation at break ranging from 2.0 to 4.5%. In addition, further research has determined for raffia palm fibers a Young's modulus of approximately 30 GPa and a breaking stress of around 0.50 GPa. These properties are determined using scanning electron microscope examinations, which reveal a layered structure, as well as X-ray diffraction measurements.