Nonlinear imbibition influence on the hygro-mechanical bending response of paper due to its interaction with water

The bending response analysis of a piece paper as a result of its interaction with water is studied to provide a better understanding of the problem that is dominated by water imbibition into paper. Three phenomenon that take simultaneously place are considered in this model: (i) water imbibition (ii) swelling of fibers and (iii) the softening effect on paper due to the water penetration. The water penetration into paper is modeled including the nonlinear imbibition phenomenon into paper. Numerical solution of the problem is carried out using MatLab®. The influence of the nonlinear imbibition on the bending response is studied. The proposed model is more accurate and provides a better understanding of the problem compared to previous models presented in earlier works. Moreover, the formulation requires only four parameters to characterize the hygro-mechanical bending response of paper. Finally, the results show a good agreement with the experimental measurements reported in the literature.