Influence of Fibre Treatment and Matrix Modification on Mechanical Properties of Flax Fibre Reinforced Mortars after Freeze/Thaw Cycles

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of flax fibre protection with the linseed oil and a matrix modification with cement substitution with metakaolin (in 10wt% and 15wt%) on the mechanical properties of cement-based mortars under severe environmental conditions of freeze/thaw cycles. Cement-based mortars (with the dimension of 40x40x160 mm3) were reinforced by 10mm long discrete flax fibres (Linumusitatissimum) and exposed to 51 freeze/thaw cycles under laboratory condition. Their compressive and flexural strengths, as well as specific energy absorption capacity were measured after freeze/thaw cycles and compared to the results of mortars cured for same time in water. Under freeze/thaw cycles mortars reinforced with linseed oil-treated fibres showed the same range of degradation of the compressive and flexural strengths, however, a more pronounced degradation of energy absorption capacity compared to non-treated fibre reinforced mortars was observed. The matrix modification, by partial cement substitution with metakaolin showed optimistic results under freeze/thaw cycles. The compressive strength when cement was partially substituted with metakaolin (in both dosages) increased whereas the flexural strength was slightly lower in case of 10wt% substitution and markedly lower under higher (15wt%) cement substitution. The most relevant is that the decrease of the energy absorption capacity of the fibre reinforced mortar was completely prevented when cement was substituted with metakaolin. It is shown that the energy absorption of the non-treated fibre reinforced mortars increases by 27% when cement was substituted with metakaolin (both 10wt% and 15wt%).

Effect of Plant Fibres on the Variability of Cob Materials

Earthen materials have different nature components and present a high variability comparing to conventional materials; researchers try to settle it down for a future normalization as environmentally efficient material. But there is a need in energy to do it, either directly (compaction, organic matter extraction, particle screening to get the best particle size distribution ...) or indirectly by including inefficient materials from an environmental perspective (cement, limestone ...). The aim of this study is to follow the variability problematic of cob materials by comparing and understanding variation level of the hygrothermal characteristics due to fibres nature and fibres content. We found that plant fibres (hemp, flax and hay) act as a stabilizer for dry bulk density; at 1% fibres substitute, hemp fibre composites show the highest coefficient of variation on the thermal properties (6.1% on thermal conductivity, 18.74% on specific heat capacity) but flax fibres show the highest mean values. Increasing hay stalk content induces the spread of the hygrothermal properties inside their range of variaation.

Experimental Investigation on the Fracture Energy and Mechanical Behaviour of Hemp and Flax Fibre FRC Compared to Polypropylene FRC

Natural fibre reinforced concrete is been studied for many years as a more sustainable option to current reinforced concrete used in industry. The most common fibre materials currently adopted are steel, glass and synthetic fibres. Apart from the high oxidation and cost, their environmental impact is a serious issue as they are petroleum-based materials. This study assesses the feasibility of replacing polypropylene fibre with hemp and flax fibres. According to the inventory of carbon and energy (ICE) the embodied energy of polypropylene (PP) is 95.4MJ/kg and the embodied carbon is 4.98kgCO2/kg during its lifetime. It represents approximately 3 times more than the estimated values for vegetable fibres. For this, Different concrete mixtures reinforced by 0.5% to 1.0% of hemp, flax and polypropylene fibres were tested, and their post-crack flexural tensile strength, elastic’s modulus, compressive strength and fracture energy were evaluated. The mixtures containing hemp fibres presented properties equivalent to those containing polypropylene under the same proportion. Although both compressive and tensile strength were reduced for the mixes containing flax fibres, the Young’s modulus was 49% smaller and could be an interesting approach for applications that require better elasticity from the concrete, such as industrial floors and structures that may be submitted to impact.

Influence of Flax Fibre Hybridization on Mechanical Behaviour of Sisal Fibre-Polypropylene Composites Prepared with an Injection Moulding Machine

Due to their low weight, high specific strength, and low environmental impact, sisal fibre-polypropylene composites have gained popularity. However, the material has a low modulus and poor moisture resistance, among other shortcomings. This study investigated how flax fibre hybridization affects the physical parameters of sisal fibre-polypropylene composites. We used maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene to improve compatibility between fibres and polypropylene. Adding flax fibres to polypropylene-silica composites resulted in increased tensile strength, flexibility, and impact strength, according to researchers. Water resistance was further improved by adding flax fibres. Tensile strength values of polypropylene-sisal fibre composites filled with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% of flax fibres were 29.46, 30.56, 31.57, 33.12, and 34.64 MPa, respectively.

Investigations by AFM of Ageing Mechanisms in PLA-Flax Fibre Composites during Garden Composting

PLA-flax non-woven composites are promising materials, coupling high performance and possible degradation at their end of life. To explore their ageing mechanisms during garden composting, microstructural investigations were carried out through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We observe that flax fibres preferentially degrade ‘inwards’ from the edge to the core of the composite. In addition, progressive erosion of the cell walls occurs within the fibres themselves, ‘outwards’ from the central lumen to the periphery primary wall. This preferential degradation is reflected in the decrease in indentation modulus from around 23 GPa for fibres located in the preserved core of the composite to 3–4 GPa for the remaining outer-most cell wall crowns located at the edge of the sample that is in contact with the compost. Ageing of the PLA matrix is less drastic with a relatively stable indentation modulus. Nevertheless, a change in the PLA morphology, a significant decrease in its roughness and increase of porosity, can be observed towards the edge of the sample, in comparison to the core. This work highlights the important role of intrinsic fibre porosity, called lumen, which is suspected to be a major variable of the compost ageing process, providing pathways of entry for moisture and microorganisms that are involved in cell wall degradation.

Incorporation of Natural Fibres in Rendering Mortars for the Durability of Walls

One of the main functions of renders, together with the overall aesthetic appearance of the building, is the protection of the walls against external aggressive actions, such as water, salts solutions, erosion, and mechanical impacts. However, some anomalies of renders may drastically hinder their protection ability. In fact, cracking, high water permeability, and loss of adherence to the substrate of renders limit their barrier effect and favour the exposure of the substrate to external actions. The incorporation of fibres in mortars is commonly pointed out to reduce their cracking susceptibility, due to the probable enhancement in tensile strength and ductility of the composite. The use of lime in substitution of the part of the cement binder is seen as a method to reduce the modulus of elasticity and therefore enhance the resistance to cracking due to drying shrinkage. Therefore, this study investigates the wall protection-related properties of natural fibre-reinforced renders with cement-lime as a binary binder at 1:1:6 volumetric ratio. With this purpose, wool, coir, and flax fibres are used at 20% by total mortar volume and the water behaviour, cracking susceptibility, and adherence to the substrate of the mortars are assessed. Specifically, the water absorption by capillarity, drying rates, permeability to water under pressure, adherence strength, and shrinkage are evaluated. In order to evaluate the renders’ durability and therefore the durability of the protection to the walls, an artificial accelerated ageing test is performed based on heating-freezing and humidification-freezing cycles. The results indicate that the fibres’ addition reduced the shrinkage and modulus of elasticity of the mortars, which suggests lower susceptibility to cracking. The addition of fibres in mortars seemed to slightly affect their water performance and only at early ages. From the results, it was concluded that the adherence strength is not affected by the fibres’ incorporation. The fibres seem also to reduce the impacts of the ageing cycles on the mortar and the improvements provided by the fibres’ addition to the mortars’ performance remained after ageing when compared to the mortars without fibres, thus being a potential alternative to increase their durability. These aspects are particularly important for buildings, since they can extend their service life and promote their sustainability.