Mechanical Behavior of Panels Reinforced with Orthogonal Plant Fabrics: Experimental and Numerical Assessment
Martha L. Sánchez1,*, G. Capote2
1 Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Programa de Ingeniería Civil, Bogotá, 110111, Colombia
2 Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
* Corresponding Author: Martha L. Sánchez. Email: 
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Environmentally Friendly Wood-Based Composites Based on Sustainable Technologies and Renewable Materials)
Journal of Renewable Materials https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2024.055122
Received 18 June 2024; Accepted 13 August 2024; Published online 02 September 2024
Abstract
The construction sector is one of the main sources of pollution, due to high energy consumption and the toxic substances generated during the processing and use of traditional materials. The production of cement, steel, and other conventional materials impacts both ecosystems and human health, increasing the demand for ecological and biodegradable alternatives. In this paper, we analyze the properties of panels made from a combination of plant fibers and castor oil resin, analyzing the viability of their use as construction material. For the research, orthogonal fabrics made with waste plant fibers supplied by a company that deals with the manufacture of furniture and craft products were used. These fabrics were made with strips of plant fibers of the
Calamus rotang,
Bambusa vulgaris,
Heteropsis flexuosa, and
Salix viminalis species. To improve their compatibility with the castor oil resin, a cold argon plasma treatment was applied. The effect of the treatment on the properties of the fibers and the panels was analyzed. The density, water absorption capacity, and swelling percentage were evaluated. Tensile, compression, static bending, and linear buckling tests were carried out. The study found that panels made with treated fiber fabrics exhibited a reduction of approximately 10% in absorption capacity and up to 35% in swelling percentage values. Panels made with
Bambusa vulgaris fabrics exhibited the highest strength and stiffness values. Numerical models were constructed using commercial finite element software. When comparing the numerical results with the experimental ones, differences of less than 15% were seen, demonstrating that the models allow adequately predicting the analyzed properties. On comparing the values obtained with the characteristic values of oriented strand board, the results suggest that panels made with unconventional materials could replace commercial panels traditionally made with wood-based fibers and particles and other composite materials in several applications in the construction industry.
Keywords
Unconventional materials; nonstructural panels; plant fibers; surface treatment; physical properties; mechanical properties
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