Abstract: This study presents the experimental results of thermal conductivity measurements for samples made from coir fibers at three different densities over the range of mean temperature from 10° to 40 °C. Data showed the dry thermal conductivity values at a mean temperature of 15 °C are 0.04 (W/m·K), 0.046 (W/m·K), and 0.0522 (W/m·K) which are lower than that of other conventional and plant-fiber materials. The dependence of λ-values of coir samples on mean temperature and density was investigated and plotted as a linear relationship with the R2 values are higher than 0.9. Density-dependent thermal conductivity values of coir fiber reinforced phenol formaldehyde resin composite panels were also conducted. The lowest thermal conductivity was valued at the highest density indicating the highest insulation performance of the fibrous material. Overall, the experimental results demonstrate the perceived heat resistant capacity of coir fiber materials and their composites providing superior insulation properties in building applications.

Key words: Natural fiber, mean temperature, density dependence, thermal conductivity, fiber-based composite.

Cite: Le Duong Hung Anh, Pásztory Zoltán, "Experimental Investigation of Thermal Conductivity Values and Density Dependence of Insulation Materials from Coir Fiber," International Journal of Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 71-79, November 2022. doi: 10.17706/ijmse.2022.10.4.71-79
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