Caratterizzazione di compositi a matrice epossidica rinforzati con fibre di vetro e di opuntia-ficus indica

Effect of sheep wool fibres on thermal-insulation and mechanical properties of cement matrix

The use of sheep wool as reinforcement of cement in order to produce mortar or plaster involves several advantages for environment and energy. Moreover, in several regions it is treated as a waste and, consequently, its employ is characterized by low cost. Aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence of wool fibres on thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of cement. The samples were prepared using wool fibres, obtained from a breed of Sicilian sheep, with three different length (i.e. 1 mm, 6 mm and 20 mm). Moreover, in order to evaluate the influence of fibre content, the samples were prepared by varying the fibres weight fraction up to maximum level. The thermal conductivity of …

Wettability of flax/basalt reinforced composites during aging in salt spray conditions

Aim of this work was to investigate the wettability of natural fibres reinforced epoxy composites, subjected to aging tests performed on two different laminates. The first laminate was constituted by stacking ten layers of bidirectional flax fabrics. The second one was produced by replacing two external flax layers with two layers of basalt mat, for each side of the laminate. Both laminates were exposed to salt-fog environmental conditions, according to ASTM B 117 standard, for 60 days. The results of wettability were compared with those of the water uptake test. Moreover, an analysis of variance was performed in order to evaluate the significance of the parameters that influence the wettab…