Abstract
This work investigates the mechanical and hygrothermal properties of hybrid cement mortar including both microencapsulated phase change materials and micronized miscanthus fibers. An experimental protocol was first developed for preparing the hybrid mortar mix, which allows to maintain the same workability as that of the reference mortar, and to ensure homogeneous distribution of the two types of inclusions within the cement matrix. This hybrid mortar was then characterized at the age of 28 days, in terms of mechanical strength, thermophysical properties (determination of the thermal conductivity/diffusivity by the Hot-Disk method), and hygric properties (evaluation of the Moisture Buffer Value – MBV, according to the NordTest method). Overall, the hybrid mortar showed a significant decrease in thermal conductivity compared to the reference mortar (−68%), suggesting it is a good insulation material. Conversely, the MBV was only slightly improved compared to the reference mortar and remained much below that of a mortar filled with the same amount of miscanthus fibers but without phase change material. Furthermore, a large drop of mechanical properties was observed with respect to the reference (−91%). Hence, the interest of the hybrid solution is questionable, as the presence of phase change materials seems to hinder the beneficial effect of vegetal fibers on the hygroscopic behavior. In the present case, the introduction of single vegetal fibers in the mortar remained the best option for improving both thermal performance and moisture regulation capacity at material scale.
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Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge the Labex MMCD (Multi-Scale Modelling & Experimentation of Materials for Sustainable Construction) for its financial support through ANR Investments for the Future (program ANR-11-LABX-022-01).
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Gbekou, F.K., Boudenne, A., Eddhahak, A., Benzarti, K. (2023). Mechanical and Hygrothermal Properties of Cement Mortars Including Both Phase Change Materials and Miscanthus Fibers. In: Amziane, S., Merta, I., Page, J. (eds) Bio-Based Building Materials. ICBBM 2023. RILEM Bookseries, vol 45. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33465-8_62
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