Mechanical and thermal behavior of an eco-friendly panel composite based on flax fiber and epoxy green resin for building insulation

Abstract

The construction industry significantly contributes to world energy consumption. As residents reside for prolonged durations within buildings, it is imperative to maintain a healthy and thermally comfortable indoor environment while adhering to modern energy-efficiency standards. In this context, environmentally friendly thermal insulation materials derived from green epoxy resin and flax fibers present an important interest. This study investigates the mechanical and thermal properties of a green epoxy composite reinforced with flax fibers. The composite was created with a hand layup technique. Flexural stress and strain were experimentally determined using a three-point bending test. The thermal conductivity was also experimentally measured for different temperatures (30°C–50°C). The mechanical results are validated using ANSYS software. The given results prove that the composite presents a high flexural strength (120–180 MPa) as well as a low thermal conductivity (0.06–0.08 W.m -3 .K -1 ). The numerical simulation values are all in excellent accord with the experience. This study found that this green composite is structurally strong with the possibility of use as a thermal building insulator.