title: Pressure impact of autoclave treatment on water sorption and pectin composition of flax cellulosic-fibres.
abstract: The tensile properties of flax fibres might permit them to be used in composites as reinforcement in organic resin, as long as their mechanical properties are reproducible and their water sorption are reduced. In this study, to minimise the variability of mechanical properties, several samples of flax fibres were blended as a non-woven fabric. In order to reduce the water absorption of this non-woven technical fibres, an autoclave treatment was performed which was expected to remove the pectins and then to reduce the water sorption on their negative charges. The impact of autoclave pressure (0.5, 1 and 2 bars) on water sorption was investigated by using a gravimetric static equilibrium method. The Park model based on the three sorption modes: Langmuir, Henry's law and clustering, was successfully used to simulate the experimental sorption data. The lowest pressure treatments impacted only the Langmuir contribution while the 2 bar autoclave-treatment positively impacted the water resistance in the core of fibres by reducing Henry's absorption rate. This was shown to be related to the chemical modifications at the surface and in the core of fibres. A schematic model is presented relating the water sorption and the pectic composition of the fabric.
authors: Laboratoire "Polymères, Biopolymères, Surfaces", UMR 6270 and FR3038, Université de Rouen/CNRS, UFR des Sciences, 76821 Mon-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France; Unité AGRI'TERR, Esitpa, 76134 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France. Electronic address: alix.sebastien@gmail.com.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Alix
authors: Laboratoire "Polymères, Biopolymères, Surfaces", UMR 6270 and FR3038, Université de Rouen/CNRS, UFR des Sciences, 76821 Mon-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France. Electronic address: laurent.colasse@univ-rouen.fr.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Colasse
authors: Laboratoire "Polymères, Biopolymères, Surfaces", UMR 6270 and FR3038, Université de Rouen/CNRS, UFR des Sciences, 76821 Mon-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France. Electronic address: claudine.morvan@univ-rouen.fr.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Morvan
authors: Laboratoire "Polymères, Biopolymères, Surfaces", UMR 6270 and FR3038, Université de Rouen/CNRS, UFR des Sciences, 76821 Mon-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France. Electronic address: laurent.lebrun@univ-rouen.fr.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Lebrun
authors: Laboratoire "Polymères, Biopolymères, Surfaces", UMR 6270 and FR3038, Université de Rouen/CNRS, UFR des Sciences, 76821 Mon-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France. Electronic address: stephane.marais@univ-rouen.fr.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Marais
keywords: Autoclave treatment; Flax fibre; Pectin; Water sorption