Commercially available carboxylated styrene butadiene copolymer emulsion
containing 41% solid polymer (product code KL001308, supplied by Sika India
Pvt. Ltd., India) was used to modify the surface of the alkali treated jute fibres
and the cement matrix as well. Usually, the styrene butadiene copolymer emulsion
is used for damp proofing of the concrete. Therefore, the higher dose of this polymer
may affect the strength and hydration characteristic of the cement composites.
Additionally, due to the amorphous nature of the polymer, modification of jute fibre
with a high polymer content in the emulsion may lead to reducing the tensile property
of the jute fibre. Therefore, in this investigation, the polymer latex was diluted
with water for the modification of fibre and cement matrix simultaneously. The volume
(water):volume (polymer latex) ratio for dilution are 1:6.25E4, 1:1.25E3,
1:2.5E3, and 1:5.0E3.