Magnesium oxychloride cement-based fibre reinforced cementitious composites: mechanical properties and fire performance

Abstract

Research and development of cementitious materials with low carbon dioxide emissions has become increasingly popular in recent decades due to their green and sustainable features. As an alternative to Ordinary Portland cement (OPC), magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) has gained popularity for its eco-friendly characteristics, high strength, early strength gain, fast setting, low density, and low alkalinity. Recent applications of MOC in various commercial sectors, including industrial flooring, wall insulation panels, floor tiles, and fire-resistant coatings, have attracted the interest of researchers and industry professionals to explore the potential of this sustainable material further. It is critical to develop fire-resistant materials for application in non-structural cladding and façade systems, which are non-combustible, exhibiting excellent fire resistance, especially spalling resistance, and possessing good insulating potential, as most of the current cladding materials are combustible, causing building fires. Although MOC is considered inherently fire resistant, the mechanical performance of MOC and its derived products at elevated temperatures and under fire conditions has not been thoroughly investigated. This research aims to develop novel fibre-reinforced MOC composites with enhanced strength, ductility, and excellent fire resistance. A novel hybrid fibre-reinforced MOC (FRMOC) with enhanced strength and ductility was developed by incorporating PE and BF fibres. Hybrid fibre combinations have been incorporated into MOC composites to improve strength, ductility, and fire resistance in cementitious composites.

Date of Thesis submission	2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Sponsors	Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship & Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Supervisor	Sarah Zhang (Supervisor), Richard Yang (Supervisor), Sanket Rawat (Supervisor), Zhong Tao (Supervisor) & Lihai Zhang (Supervisor)