Mechanical and thermophysical behavior of hemp fiber reinforced gypsum composites

Abstract

Abstract The present experimental study aims to develop a new composite material to improve the physical, mechanical and thermal properties and the lightness of gypsum plaster made with hemp fibers for the purpose of reducing the building energy consumption. The influence of the fiber length and the volume fraction of the hemp fiber on density, water absorption, compressive strength, flexural strength and thermal conductivity properties of tested material, was investigated. Our experimental data show a good increment in mechanical properties and a significant decrease in the thermal conductivity of material with hemp fiber compared to pure gypsum material. The composite specimen with 15 mm fiber length and 12 vol% of fiber percentage improved the flexural strength and compressive strength by 268% and 109.8% respectively, as compared to neat gypsum. The purpose is to obtain ecological composite materials with better thermal performance, which can contribute to improve the thermal comfort in constructions.