INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMOPHYSICS, vol.42, no.7, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
Hemp based composites have been preferred in insulation applications in the last decade, especially thanks to it is superior thermophysical properties. These composites consist of natural material and are widely bonded with lime plaster. Therefore, it is accepted as an environmentally friendly material. In this study, various composites containing different types and sizes of hemp hurd particles were produced and the relation of the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity to the unit weight of these composites was experimentally investigated. In addition to the experimental measurements on the produced composites, particle morphology of the hemp hurds was examined by SEM images. One of the main objectives of this research is to develop a new method in the evaluation of hemp based composites by investigating the relationships between the tests. For this purpose, Wenner probe method was applied for the first time in hemp based composites. Results revealed that the electrical resistivity measurements can be used to estimate the thermal performance of hemp based composites as soon as they produced. Unit weights varied between 350 kg center dot m(-3) and 700 kg center dot m(-3) while thermal conductivity coefficients were obtained in a range from 0.09 W center dot(m center dot K)(-1) to 0.18 W center dot(m center dot K)(-1).