Hygrothermal characterization of lightweight biosourced composites based on date palm fiber and lime
Abstract
Biosourced materials derived from agricultural by-products hold significant promise in both enhancing
the hygrothermal performance of buildings and reducing their environmental footprint. We
investigate the hygrothermal properties of green composites based on date palm fibers and lime. The
eco-friendly building composites explored are manufactured using either trunk fiber (surface fiber) or
rachi and petiole fiber (wood fiber). Through an experimental approach, for different fiber
percentages, the hygrothermal characteristics of the explored composites were experimentally
determined in terms of thermal conductivity, diffusivity, porosity, water vapor permeability, and
sorption scanning isotherms. The results show that date palm fiber has a positive effect on the
thermal properties of the composite material. Indeed, it significantly enhances the insulating capacity
of the composites. Water vapor permeability exhibits significant variation depending on the fiber
content, with samples containing higher fiber content exhibiting greater permeability. Furthermore,
the effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model proved effective describing the experimental
adsorption scanning isotherm curves. It was observed that the sorption process is significantly
influenced by both the type and percentage of fibers. Finally, the observed results demonstrate that
date palm fiber and lime composites could offer notable advantages for construction applications and
serve as an effective, cost-effective insulation.
Origin | Files produced by the author(s) |
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