Cement based composites with multifunctional addition of unused wool fibres

In the last decades, construction industry has adopted eco-friendly practices to enhance the performances of cement-based composites. Some animal fibres, such as sheep wool, have begun to be marketed and promoted as an alternative insulating material in building construction. Research on the possible utilization of wool filaments as a fibre reinforcement in cement based materials has not been widely studied. Taking into account the large availability of natural sheep wool as waste material, a research work was carried out at Politecnico di Torino and IPPT PAN to test the potential benefits of producing sustainable cement based materials. The purpose of this study was to design and characterize some cement-based composites with multifunctional addition of unused wool fibres. The fundamental mechanical properties of the new composites, and their microstructure analyses as well, were investigated.