Rheology, Mechanical Performance and Penetrability through Flax Nonwoven Fabrics of Lime Pastes

Abstract

The use of plant fibers as a reinforcement for fragile matrices could be an option to improve the sustainability of the construction materials. These reinforcements can be in different forms as short fibers, long fibers or woven or nonwoven fabrics. The mechanical performance of the composites is significantly related to the adhesion between the matrix and the fibers. In the case of nonwoven reinforcement, to get good adhesion, the penetration of the paste is a key point. That is why this study addresses the relationship between rheology, penetration through the nonwoven fabrics and the mechanical properties of various lime pastes with different contents of water and metakaolin (MK). The effect of the binder’s grinding is also evaluated. The results indicate that MK pastes with higher w/b ratios penetrate better into nonwovens, Grinding has a negative effect on penetrability despite improving the mechanical properties of the pastes.