Experimental study on impact toughness of multi-combination hybrid fiber-reinforced magnesium phosphate cement-based materials

In order to improve the brittleness of magnesium phosphate cement-based materials (MPC) and overcome the limitations of single fiber-reinforced cement-based materials, this study investigated the mechanical properties of hybrid fiber-reinforced magnesium phosphate cement-based composite materials (HFRMPC) by incorporating four types of fibers: hooked-end steel fiber (HSF), micro steel fiber (MSF), polyvinyl alcohol fiber (PVAF), and basalt fiber (BF). Cylindrical specimens were prepared by single and double hybridization of the fibers and subjected to drop hammer impact tests to analyze the effects of different fiber hybridization methods on the impact resistance of these materials. The two-parameter Weibull distribution was used to analyze the test results to predict failure probabilities and to investigate the fiber reinforcement and toughening mechanisms in MPC through microscopic structural analysis. The results showed that the impact resistance of the fiber hybridization group was much better than that of the single fiber group, and the impact resistance increased continuously with increasing fiber content. The fibers' impact resistance enhancement effects were in the following order: MSF > PVAF > BF. The fiber combination methods were ranked as follows from best to worst: HSF + PVAF > HSF + BF > HSF + MSF > PVAF + BF. The 1.5% HSF+0.6% PVAF hybridization had the best impact resistance performance, with an increase in initial cracking and impact energy dissipation at the failure of 7748.6% and 8921.2%, respectively, compared to the M0. The probability distribution of impact number of initial cracking (N1) and failure (N2) of the specimens followed the double-parameter Weibull distribution well. The multiscale strengthening and toughening zone composed of fibers with different geometric dimensions and elastic modulus was crucial to the material's performance, as the fibers acted in progressive briding under external impact loads, dissipating impact energy through the failure morphology of pull-out and breaking, significantly improving the HFRMPC's impact toughness. A comprehensive evaluation of the four indicators of impact resistance and manufacturing costs for various hybrid fiber compositions found that the combination of 1.5% HSF and 0.6% PVAF exhibits the most outstanding overall performance.