STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Polymer & Composites Review Article

Polypropylene Fibres in Cementitious Composites: A Critical Review of Polymer Structure, Processing, Interfacial Behaviour and Performance

  1. Prasad Sonar Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune
  2. Sudhir Patil Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune

Abstract

Polypropylene (PP) fibres are widely used as secondary reinforcement in cementitious composites, yet their performance is governed as much by polymer structure and interfacial chemistry as by dosage. This review synthesises 50 primary sources (2003-2025, concentrated post-2015) to examine how PP molecular structure, fibre-manufacturing history, morphology, surface properties and environmental ageing govern fibre-matrix interaction and multiscale composite performance. Isotacticity, molecular weight, crystallinity and drawing ratio are shown to set the fibre’s intrinsic tensile and modulus ceiling before it ever contacts cement paste. Because untreated PP presents a nonpolar surface (contact angle approximately 95-105 degrees, surface energy near 30 mN/m), wetting by the polar cement paste is poor, and the interfacial transition zone relies on friction and mechanical interlock rather than chemical bonding. Surface modification methods, including plasma and corona treatment, silane coupling, maleic-anhydride grafting and mineral coatings, are evaluated for their effect on contact angle, pull-out resistance and durability of the treatment under alkaline exposure. A consistent dosage confound is identified: reported optima cluster near 0.5-1.0% by fibre volume fraction, but many primary studies report weight-based dosage without specifying the denominator, so values are not directly comparable across the dataset. Fibre volume fraction and kg/m3 are adopted as the primary reporting units throughout. Thermal, oxidative, alkaline, freeze-thaw and UV ageing mechanisms are distinguished from ageing of the fibre-matrix interface and of the composite. Structural applications in pavements, precast elements, tunnel linings and impact-resistant elements are retained as evidence of structure-property translation rather than as the primary contribution. Sustainability is assessed quantitatively against steel, glass, basalt and natural fibres, without assuming PP is inherently sustainable. Priority research needs are standardized dosage reporting, quantitative surface-treatment durability data, and design guidance connecting polymer-level variables to composite performance.

Keywords

References (55)

  1. Bošnjak J, Sharma A, Grauf K. Mechanical Properties of Concrete with Steel and Polypropylene Fibres at Elevated Temperatures. Fibers. 2019;7(2):9. doi:10.3390/fib7020009
  2. Mo KH, Goh SH, Alengaram UJ, Visintin P, Jumaat MZ. Mechanical, toughness, bond and durability-related properties of lightweight concrete reinforced with steel fibres. Mater Struct. 2017;50(1):46. doi:10.1617/s11527-016-0934-1
  3. Hossain MdT, Shahid MdA, Mahmud N, et al. Research and application of polypropylene: a review. Discover Nano. 2024;19(1):2. doi:10.1186/s11671-023-03952-z
  4. Christopher CG, Gopal R, Sadasivam S, Devi Keerthika Esakki AK, Dinesh Kumar P. Experimental Toughness and Durability Evaluation of FRC Composite Reinforced with Steel–Polyester Fiber Combination. Int J Concr Struct Mater. 2023;17(1):39. doi:10.1186/s40069-023-00599-z
  5. Stieglitz L, Geiger C, Großmann PF, et al. Fiber Spinning of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Isotactic Polypropylene: Melt Spinning and Melt Drawing. Chempluschem. 2023;88(3). doi:10.1002/cplu.202300045
  6. Saccani E, Ruberto Y, Milanese D, Sciancalepore C. Treatments on Polypropylene Macro Synthetic Fibers for Improving Adhesion in Structural Concrete Reinforcement: A Systematic Review. J Appl Polym Sci. 2026;143(20). doi:10.1002/app.70649
  7. Latifi MR, Biricik Ö, Mardani Aghabaglou A. Effect of the addition of polypropylene fiber on concrete properties. J Adhes Sci Technol. 2022;36(4):345-369. doi:10.1080/01694243.2021.1922221
  8. Monazami M, Gupta R. Influence of Polypropylene, Carbon and Hybrid Coated Fiber on the Interfacial Microstructure Development of Cementitious Composites. Fibers. 2021;9(11):65. doi:10.3390/fib9110065
  9. Wölfel E, Brünig H, Curosu I, Mechtcherine V, Scheffler C. Dynamic Single-Fiber Pull-Out of Polypropylene Fibers Produced with Different Mechanical and Surface Properties for Concrete Reinforcement. Materials. 2021;14(4):722. doi:10.3390/ma14040722
  10. Lawler JS, Wilhelm T, Zampini D, Shah SP. Fracture processes of hybrid fiber-reinforced mortar. Mater Struct. 2003;36(3):197-208. doi:10.1007/BF02479558
  11. Camille C, Hewage DK, Mirza O, Mashiri F, Kirkland B, Clarke T. Post-cracking Strength Classification of Macro-synthetic Fibre Reinforced Concrete for Sleeper Application. In: 2021:717-729. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58482-5_64
  12. Nirmala DB, Angadi A. Experimental Study on Concrete by Adding Polyester Fibres. Slovak Journal of Civil Engineering. 2023;31(3):43-48. doi:10.2478/sjce-2023-0019
  13. Iqbal Khan M, Abbass W, Alrubaidi M, Alqahtani FK. Optimization of the Fine to Coarse Aggregate Ratio for the Workability and Mechanical Properties of High Strength Steel Fiber Reinforced Concretes. Materials. 2020;13(22):5202. doi:10.3390/ma13225202
  14. Hu Y, Ma L. Effect of Surface Treatment of Polypropylene (PP) Fiber on the Sulfate Corrosion Resistance of Cement Mortar. Materials. 2021;14(13):3690. doi:10.3390/ma14133690
  15. Kim DK, Han W, Kim KW, Kim BJ. Enhanced Interfacial Properties of Carbon Fiber/Maleic Anhydride-Grafted Polypropylene Composites via Two-Step Surface Treatment: Electrochemical Oxidation and Silane Treatment. Polymers (Basel). 2023;15(18):3784. doi:10.3390/polym15183784
  16. Jiang F, Deng W, Wang Q, Wang J, Mao Z. Performance Research and Engineering Application of Fiber-Reinforced Lightweight Aggregate Concrete. Materials. 2024;17(22):5530. doi:10.3390/ma17225530
  17. Yin S, Tuladhar R, Shi F, Combe M, Collister T, Sivakugan N. Use of macro plastic fibres in concrete: A review. Constr Build Mater. 2015;93:180-188. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.05.105
  18. Zhang S, Caprani C. Mechanical properties of pultruded GFRP at intermediate strain rates. Compos Struct. 2021;278:114699. doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2021.114699
  19. Zhang K, Pan L, Li J, Lin C. What is the mechanism of the fiber effect on the rheological behavior of cement paste with polycarboxylate superplasticizer? Constr Build Mater. 2021;281:122542. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.122542
  20. Malaszkiewicz D. Influence of polymer fibers on rheological properties of cement mortars. Open Engineering. 2017;7(1):228-236. doi:10.1515/eng-2017-0029
  21. Ozturk O, Ozyurt N. Implementation of two-stage mixing approach to improve the performance of fiber reinforced concrete for sustainable construction. Constr Build Mater. 2023;409:133870. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.133870
  22. Kumar N, Sahu A, Mohd Noor I, Singh PK, Singh LK. Investigating the effect of polypropylene fibres and curing parameters on the workability and mechanical properties of concrete. Zastita Materijala. 2025;66(1):179-186. doi:10.62638/ZasMat1240
  23. Chen Y, Waheed MS, Iqbal S, Rizwan M, Room S. Durability Properties of Macro-Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete. Materials. 2024;17(2):284. doi:10.3390/ma17020284
  24. Amin MN, Ahmad A, Khan K, Ahmad W, Ehsan S, Alabdullah AA. Predicting the Rheological Properties of Super-Plasticized Concrete Using Modeling Techniques. Materials. 2022;15(15):5208. doi:10.3390/ma15155208
  25. Małek M, Jackowski M, Łasica W, Kadela M. Characteristics of Recycled Polypropylene Fibers as an Addition to Concrete Fabrication Based on Portland Cement. Materials. 2020;13(8):1827. doi:10.3390/ma13081827
  26. Saloma, Hanafiah, Putra FN. The effect of polypropylene fiber on mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete. In: 2017:020093. doi:10.1063/1.5002287
  27. Hadeed M, Humad AM, Al-Gburi M. Utilization of hybrid fibers in different types of concrete and their activity. J Mech Behav Mater. 2023;32(1). doi:10.1515/jmbm-2022-0262
  28. Behfarnia K, Behravan A. Application of high performance polypropylene fibers in concrete lining of water tunnels. Mater Des. 2014;55:274-279. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2013.09.075
  29. Meenatchi K, Suguna K, Raghunath PN. Performance Evaluation of Fibre Reinforced Concrete Containing Alccofine and Zeolite. Indian J Sci Technol. 2023;16(17):1309-1322. doi:10.17485/IJST/v16i17.2346
  30. Nanda RP, Mohapatra AK, Behera B. Influence of metakaolin and Recron 3s fiber on mechanical properties of fly ash replaced concrete. Constr Build Mater. 2020;263:120949. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120949
  31. Nehvi R, Nahvi UZ. Effect of Different Percentages of Polypropylene Fibre (Recron 3s) on the Compressive, Tensile and Flexural Strength of Concrete. www.ijert.org
  32. Pawaskar PD, Shirodkar V. Experimental Study on Behaviour of Recron “3s” Fibre. www.iosrjournals.org
  33. Tahwia AM, Mokhles M, Elemam WE. Optimizing characteristics of high-performance concrete incorporating hybrid polypropylene fibers. Innovative Infrastructure Solutions. 2023;8(11):297. doi:10.1007/s41062-023-01268-6
  34. Małek M, Łasica W, Kadela M, Kluczyński J, Dudek D. Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Fibre-Reinforced Cement–Glass Composite. Materials. 2021;14(3):637. doi:10.3390/ma14030637
  35. Van Der Putten J, Rahul AV, De Schutter G, Van Tittelboom K. Development of 3D Printable Cementitious Composites with the Incorporation of Polypropylene Fibers. Materials. 2021;14(16):4474. doi:10.3390/ma14164474
  36. Gorji Azandariani M, Vajdian M, Javadi M, Parvari A. Durability and compressive strength of composite polyolefin fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete: An experimental study. Composites Part C: Open Access. 2024;15:100533. doi:10.1016/j.jcomc.2024.100533
  37. Loganathan P, Thirugnanam GS. An optimisation approach for mechanical and durability properties of hybrid fibre-reinforced concrete using steel and sisal fibres. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering. 2024;28(5):993-1013. doi:10.1080/19648189.2023.2238223
  38. Guo R, Wang B, Yang M, He W, Zhang C. Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites for Construction. Buildings. 2024;14(10):3216. doi:10.3390/buildings14103216
  39. James IE, Okafor FO, Mama BO, Ezihe JC. Design, modelling and optimisation of ultra high-performance fibre reinforced concrete incorporating waste materials. Discover Civil Engineering. 2024;1(1):96. doi:10.1007/s44290-024-00100-z
  40. Yahyaee T, Elize HS. A comprehensive study on mechanical properties, durability, and environmental impact of fiber-reinforced concrete incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag. Case Studies in Construction Materials. 2024;20:e03190. doi:10.1016/j.cscm.2024.e03190
  41. Baltrocchi APD, Shafique M. Circular pathways in construction: environmental life cycle assessment of bio-based fiber-reinforced building component. Frontiers in Sustainability. 2026;6. doi:10.3389/frsus.2025.1716779
  42. Islam MdJ, Shahjalal Md. Effect of polypropylene plastic on concrete properties as a partial replacement of stone and brick aggregate. Case Studies in Construction Materials. 2021;15:e00627. doi:10.1016/j.cscm.2021.e00627
  43. Manso-Morato J, Hurtado-Alonso N, Revilla-Cuesta V, Skaf M, Ortega-López V. Fiber-Reinforced concrete and its life cycle assessment: A systematic review. Journal of Building Engineering. 2024;94:110062. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110062
  44. Kumar R. Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete Composite for Construction of Rigid Pavements. Journal of Cement Based Composites. 2022;3(1):1-8. doi:10.36937/cebacom.2022.5630
  45. Kos Ž, Kroviakov S, Mishutin A, Poltorapavlov A. An Experimental Study on the Properties of Concrete and Fiber-Reinforced Concrete in Rigid Pavements. Materials. 2023;16(17):5886. doi:10.3390/ma16175886
  46. Conforti A, Trabucchi I, Tiberti G, Plizzari GA, Caratelli A, Meda A. Precast tunnel segments for metro tunnel lining: A hybrid reinforcement solution using macro-synthetic fibers. Eng Struct. 2019;199:109628. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.109628
  47. Conforti A, Tiberti G, Plizzari GA, Caratelli A, Meda A. Precast tunnel segments reinforced by macro-synthetic fibers. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. 2017;63:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.tust.2016.12.005
  48. Patel H, Patel C, Patel K, Balya MI, Patel VA, Professor A. Performance Evaluation of Polymer Fiber “RECRON-3S” in Pavement Quality Concrete. Vol 2. 2015. www.ijsrd.com
  49. Anil Kumar Shaik Yajdani Tech Student Associate Professor KM, Shanmukha Rao Tech Student GM. Study on Properties of Concrete Using Recron 3s Fiber. Vol 4. 2017. www.ijste.org
  50. Juhász PK, Schaul P. Synthetic Fibre Reinforcement in Concrete Structures – Applications and Design. In: 2023:747-756. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-32519-9_73
  51. Xu L, Li B, Ding X, et al. Experimental Investigation on Damage Behavior of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Concrete under Compression. Int J Concr Struct Mater. 2018;12(1):68. doi:10.1186/s40069-018-0302-3
  52. Ren X, Xie Y, Ding F, Sun D, Liu H. Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Systematic Review of Usage in Shield Tunnel Segment. Sustainability. 2024;16(24):10832. doi:10.3390/su162410832
  53. Sreekumaran S, Krishna A, Karuppanan K. Opening and out‐of‐plane shear fracture performance of steel and natural sisal hybrid fiber reinforced concrete. Structural Concrete. 2025;26(1):147-161. doi:10.1002/suco.202301081
  54. Mahmoud Abo El-Wafa. Investigating Fiber Reinforcement Solutions for Environmentally Sustainable and Technologically. World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences. 2024;11(2):044-049. doi:10.30574/wjaets.2024.11.2.0089
  55. Teja Vigna Sivani P, Nagendra Babu P. A Comparative Assessment on Crack Propagation Behaviour of Concrete Using Recron 3S Fibre. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research. 2023;11(12):1-5. doi:10.70729/SE231203143607
Support