Effect of chemical treatments on water sorption and mechanical properties of flax fibres

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 100; no. 20; pp. 4742 - 4749
• Main Authors: Alix, S., Philippe, E., Bessadok, A., Lebrun, L., Morvan, C., Marais, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2009; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: acetic anhydride; Adsorption; biobased products; Biological and medical sciences; cellulosic fibers; Chemical modifications; Chemical Sciences; chemical treatment; composite polymers; Contact angle; Diffusion; Engineering Sciences; flax; Flax - chemistry; Flax fibres; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Kinetics; Linum usitatissimum; maleic hydrazide; Materials; mathematical models; Mechanical Phenomena; mechanical properties; Models, Chemical; moisture resistance; polyesters; Polymers; renewable energy sources; silane; simulation models; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Steam; styrene; Surface Properties; Temperature; Tensile Strength; Tensile tests; Water - chemistry; Water sorption; Water sorption; Contact angle; Tensile tests; Flax fibres; Chemical modifications; Flax fiber; Chemical modification; Chemical treatment; Mechanical properties
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.04.067

In this work, in order to improve the adhesion between a polyester matrix (unsaturated polyester resin) and flax fibres (
Linum usitatissimum L.) and to increase their moisture resistance, chemical surface treatments have been used. These different treatments were performed with maleic anhydride (MA), acetic anhydride (Ac), silane (Si) and styrene (S). The modified flax fibres were characterized by means of infrared spectroscopy and surface energy analysis. The effect of these treatments on water sorption was investigated by using a gravimetric static equilibrium method. Water sorption isotherms were derived from kinetic data. The Park model based on the three sorption modes: Langmuir, Henry’s law and clustering, was successfully used to simulate the experimental sorption data. It was found that the (Ac) and particularly (S) treatments reduced overall water uptake of flax fibres. We show that tensile modulus, breaking strength and breaking strain depend on the chemical treatment used.