Water vapor permeability of flax fibers reinforced raw earth: Experimental and micro-macro modeling

Abstract

The expected impact of this study is to propose a bio-sourced composite material coupling mechanical and hygrothermal performances. This paper deals with the prediction of hygric properties of compacted raw-earth material reinforced with the flax fibers. New experiments have been performed on fibers and earth composite specimens. Then two modeling approaches have been applied using mixing theory and asymptotic homogenization. It was showed, that besides adding flax fibers improves the mechanical behavior of raw earth as strength and shrinkage reduction, their impact on the hygric property as water vapor permeability was also proved. For longitudinal arrangement of flax fibers with different fibers contents, experimental and modeling results are in good agreement.

Keywords:

• Raw earth
• flax fibers
• hygric
• water vapor permeability
• experimental study
• analytical approach
• micro-macro modeling

Acknowledgements

1) The authors extend their appreciation to the deputyship for research and innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia for funding this research work through the project number "IF-2020-NBU-454".

2) The authors also thank the Tunisian government and the University of Le Havre Normandy for their financial support. The authors extend their appreciation to their Deputyship for Research & Innovation, Ministry of Education (France) for funding this research work.

Disclosure statement

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