0000000000609416
AUTHOR
Claudia Sergi
Durability of Basalt/Hemp Hybrid Thermoplastic Composites
The Achilles heel of thermoplastic natural fibre composites is their limited durability. The environmental degradation of the mechanical properties of hemp and hemp/basalt hybrid-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites has been investigated with a special focus on the effects of water ageing and accelerated ageing, including hygrothermal and UV radiation. Modification of the matrix was carried out using a maleic anhydride high-density polyethylene copolymer (MAPE) as a compatibilizer. Hybridization of hemp fibres with basalt fibres and the incorporation of MAPE were found to significantly decrease the water uptake (up to 75%) and increase the retention of mechanical propertie…
The effects of water absorption and salt fog exposure on agglomerated cork compressive response
The replacement of synthetic foams with agglomerated cork in sandwich composites can meet the increasing environmental concerns. Its peculiar morphology and chemical composition lead to outstanding dimensional recovery that endorsed a broad investigation of its compressive behavior. The knowledge of neat material response is fundamental to obtain a reliable design dataset, but it is necessary to consider all the environmental factors (water, moisture and sunlight) that significantly modify material mechanical properties. In view of this, the present work investigates the effect of distilled and seawater absorption and salt fog exposure on the compressive behavior of two agglomerated corks w…