Ezeokpube, G. C.
Department of Civil Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike
Okoronkwo, G.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli
Oraegbune, M. O.
Department of Building, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Nigeria
Onukwuli, O. D.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
ABSTRACT
Liquid water absorption of finger root fibers which
are a new substitute fibers for FRP during soaking in liquid water at
temperatures of 10, 20, 30, 40,50oC were fitted using Peleg’s model.
The weight-gains during soaking processes were determined in terms of moisture
content. Isothermal diffusion plots were presented to evaluate the efficiencies
of chemical modifications and moisture absorption rates and were found to
reduce the rate of water uptake of any long team structures/facilities, thereby
increased strength of the materials made with this new FRP fiber substitute
were observed even as they are exposed to hash environmental conditions as the
practical importance of the present investigations. Peleg’s equation was
adequately capable to predict sorption capacities of finger root fibers under
the studied experimental conditions. The Peleg rate constant, k1,
decreased from 6.713*10-3min%-1 to1.155*10-3min%-1with
its capacity constant, k2, from 2.907*10-3min%-1
to 2.132*10-3min%-1for the finger root fibers subjected
to hydrophobicity increase. The effective diffusivities were evaluated by
fitting experimental sorption data to Fick’s second law of diffusion. Effective
diffusivities of water varied from 2.3868*10-9m2s-1
to 0.4774*10-9m2s-1for the finger root fibers
over the temperature ranges studied with an energy activation of
29,323.478KJmol-1K-1.The temperature dependence of the
diffusivity coefficient was described satisfactorily by Arrhenius-type
relationship with 95% confidence bounds.
Keywords: Peleg’s Model, Soaking, Finger root Fiber, Liquid Water Absorption
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Published
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Issue
Vol. 4 No. 2, DEC 2018
Article Section
GENERAL
The contents of the articles are the sole opinion of the author(s) and not of UJET.
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