title: Modelling of wicking and moisture interactions of flax and viscose fibres.
abstract: Methods for assessing the wicking properties of individual fibre bundles have been developed from models based on the original Washburn equation (WE) and the modified Washburn equation (MWE), which also accounts for swelling. Both models gave indication of differences in wicking properties of flax and the viscose fibres, though MWE gave additional information that could be interpreted in terms of the physical model. Wicking of the viscose fibres is mainly via inter-fibre capillaries while that of flax is a combination of inter-fibre capillaries and lumen present in some elementary fibres. The degree of swelling and associated rotation of flax fibre in a vapour pressure range of 1-6torr were monitored using an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). Viscose fibre exhibited swelling under the same conditions but did not rotate. The two techniques highlighted different mechanisms of wicking which can be used for monitoring moisture uptake/swelling of treated fibres for fabrication of composites.
authors.affiliation: Plant Health and Environmental Protection Branch, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Science Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.affiliation: Plant Health and Environmental Protection Branch, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Science Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.affiliation: Plant Health and Environmental Protection Branch, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Science Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK. Electronic address: shekhar.sharma@afbini.gov.uk.
authors.forename: H S S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Plant Health and Environmental Protection Branch, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Science Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lyons
keywords: Cellulose; Fibre swelling; Flax fibre; Viscose; Wicking