The Natural Growth of CaCO<sub>3</sub> Crystals on Hemp Yarns: A Morphology Analysis and the Mechanical Effects on Composites
Quentin Drouhet,
Romain Barbière,
Fabienne Touchard,
Laurence Chocinski-Arnault,
David Mellier
Affiliations
Quentin Drouhet
Department of Physics and Mechanics of Materials, Pprime Institute, CNRS-ENSMA-University of Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA 1 Avenue Clément Ader, 86961 Futuroscope Chasseneuil, France
Romain Barbière
Department of Physics and Mechanics of Materials, Pprime Institute, CNRS-ENSMA-University of Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA 1 Avenue Clément Ader, 86961 Futuroscope Chasseneuil, France
Fabienne Touchard
Department of Physics and Mechanics of Materials, Pprime Institute, CNRS-ENSMA-University of Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA 1 Avenue Clément Ader, 86961 Futuroscope Chasseneuil, France
Laurence Chocinski-Arnault
Department of Physics and Mechanics of Materials, Pprime Institute, CNRS-ENSMA-University of Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA 1 Avenue Clément Ader, 86961 Futuroscope Chasseneuil, France
David Mellier
Department of Physics and Mechanics of Materials, Pprime Institute, CNRS-ENSMA-University of Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA 1 Avenue Clément Ader, 86961 Futuroscope Chasseneuil, France
Plant fibres are promising candidates to replace synthetic fibres in polymer matrix composites. However, there is still an important issue to overcome: the poor quality of adhesion at the fibre/matrix interface. Many surface treatments of plant fibres have been developed, most of them based on non-environmentally friendly processes. In this paper, a 100% natural treatment is proposed. Hemp yarns are immersed in tap water until the natural growth of limestone beads attached to their surface occurs. The morphology analysis reveals that these calcium carbonate crystals have a nanoneedle architecture, with hemp fibres acting as nucleators for these highly ordered coral-like structures. Tensile tests on ±45° woven hemp/epoxy composites show that the presence of CaCO3 beads improves the adhesion quality of the fibre/matrix interface and, therefore, increases Young’s modulus value.
