# US 2014/0191436 A1 · 3-mode blended fibers in an engineered cementitious composite > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191436 A1 - Document ID: US20140191436A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/116,969 - Filed: 2012-05-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-12 - Assignees: James Hardie Technology Limited - Inventors: Jeffrey Charles Chastain; Yongjun Chen; Mark Thomas Fisher; Caidian Luo; Huaijun Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191436A1 ## CPC - C04B 20/0052: {Mixtures of fibres of different physical characteristics, e.g. different lengths} - B28B 1/522: {for producing multi-layered articles (B28B1/526, B28B1/527 take precedence)} - C04B 28/02: containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates - C04B 28/04: Portland cements - Y02A 30/30: in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways - Y02W 30/91: Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract Disclosed herein are fiber reinforced cement composite materials incorporating a 3-mode fiber blend that includes cellulose pulp and synthetic fibers in a ratio selected to provide the composite material with improved water absorption characteristics and the same or improved mechanical properties as compared to equivalent composite materials reinforced with predominantly or all cellulose fibers. Also disclosed herein are fiber blends comprised of a combination of cellulose fibers and polypropylene fibers adapted to reinforce cementitious composite articles manufactured by the Hatschek process and autoclave cured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fiber cement composite material, comprising: about 10%-80% by weight cementitious binder; about 20%-80% by weight silica; about 0%-50% by weight density modifier; about 0%-10% additives; and about 0.5%-20% by weight a 3-mode fiber blend, said fiber blend comprising short and high surface cellulose fiber, medium length and surface cellulose fiber and long and low surface synthetic fiber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fiber cement composite material of claim 1, wherein the synthetic fibers comprises polypropylene fibers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fiber cement composite material of claim 2, wherein the polypropylene fibers have an average length of between 4 mm-15 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The fiber cement composite material of claim 2, wherein the polypropylene fibers are engineered with a hydrophilic surface and a hydrophobic bulk part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fiber cement composite material of claim 1, wherein the percent by weight ratio of the cellulose fibers to the synthetic fibers is between 3 to 24. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fiber cement composite material of claim 1, wherein the fiber blend comprises refined shorter cellulose fibers, unrefined cellulose fibers, and long PP fibers, wherein the average length of the refined shorter fibers is less than the average length of the unrefined cellulose fibers, wherein the average length of the long PP fibers is greater than the average length of the unrefined cellulose fibers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fiber cement composite material of claim 6, wherein the fiber blend comprises about 60% to 80% refined shorter cellulose fibers having an average length of less than or equal to 2 mm, about 10% to 25% unrefined cellulose fibers having an average length of between 2 to 3 mm, and about 10 to 25% long PP fibers having an average length between 4 to 15 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fiber cement composite material of claim 1, wherein said material having a moisture movement (MM) of less than 0.5%. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fiber cement composite material of claim 1, wherein the moisture movement of the composite material is at least 25% less than that of an equivalent fiber cement composite material containing no synthetic fibers. ### Claim 10 A fiber reinforced cement composition, comprising: a hydraulic binder; aggregates; cellulose fibers; and polypropylene fibers, said polypropylene fibers having irregular forms, wherein the ratio of the percent by weight of cellulose fibers to polypropylene fibers is between 3 to 24. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fiber reinforced cement composition of claim 10, wherein the composition comprises about 4% to 10% by weight cellulose fibers and about 0.25% to 2% polypropylene fibers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fiber reinforced cement composition of claim 10, wherein the cellulose fibers comprise refined shorter cellulose fibers and unrefined cellulose fibers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fiber reinforced cement composition of claim 12, wherein the ratio of the weight ratio of the refined shorter cellulose fibers to the unrefined cellulose fibers is between 2.4 to 8. ### Claim 14 A method of manufacturing a fiber reinforced cementitious article, comprising: forming a fiber cement slurry, said fiber cement slurry comprises a hydraulic binder, aggregate, water, cellulose fibers and polypropylene fibers, wherein the percent weight ratio between the cellulose fibers and the polypropylene fibers is between 3 to 24; depositing said fiber cement slurry on a plurality of sieve cylinders that are rotated through the fiber cement slurry, wherein the cellulose fibers and polypropylene fibers filter the fiber cement slurry to form a thin fiber cement film; transferring a series of sequential layers of the thin fiber cement films to a belt so as to build a thicker fiber cement layer; removing water from the thicker fiber cement layer; and curing said thicker fiber cement layer in an autoclave at a temperature of at least 150° C.