Enhanced Modeling of Water Diffusion in Natural Fibers: Application to Diss Fibers

ABSTRACT

Water diffusion through natural fibers represents an important aspect with regard to the integrity of biocomposites. Usually, diffusion model is defined assuming circular fiber cross-sections, while microscopic analysis findings revealed other geometries. This was found to affect the modeling of water transport through fibers and provide a gap versus experimental data. This work aims to present a numerical approach using finite element method to overcome the limits of use of analytical approaches relating to the morphological shape of vegetal fibers. The cross-section of the Diss fibers was observed by an optical microscope and simulated at an ellipsoidal shape after processing the images. Then, the average morphological parameters were determined. A numerical finite element model was implemented based on the observed geometry in order to determine the diffusion coefficient by an inverse approach compared to experimental results. The results showed that the numerical approach made it possible to raise the effect of fiber morphology, often assumed to be circular for plant fibers in analytical approaches, on the diffusion coefficient value, which was defined by a unique diffusion coefficient.

摘要

水通过天然纤维的扩散是生物复合材料完整性的一个重要方面. 通常, 扩散模型的定义假设为圆形纤维横截面, 而微观分析结果揭示了其他几何形状. 这被发现会影响水通过纤维传输的建模, 并提供了与实验数据之间的差距. 本工作旨在提出一种利用有限元方法的数值方法, 以克服与植物纤维形态相关的分析方法的使用限制. 因此, 通过光学显微镜观察Diss纤维的横截面, 并在图像处理后以椭球形状进行模拟. 然后, 确定平均形态参数. 基于观察到的几何结构, 采用数值有限元模型, 通过与实验结果对比的逆方法确定扩散系数. 结果表明, 数值方法可以提高纤维形态(在分析方法中通常假定为植物纤维的圆形)对由唯一扩散系数定义的扩散系数值的影响.

KEYWORDS:

• Diffusion coefficient
• natural fibers
• Diss fibers
• finite element modeling
• microscopy
• fibers cross-section

关键词:

• 扩散系数
• 天然纤维
• Diss光纤
• 有限元建模
• 显微镜
• 纤维横截面

Acknowledgments

This research work has been conducted with the financial support of FEDER - Region Pays de la Loire in the framework of CIPTAP R&D project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the FEDER - Region Pays de la Loire [CIPITAP R&D].