Diffusion of water into plant materials is known to decrease their mechanical strength and stiffness but improve formability. Here, we characterize water diffusion through areca palm leaf-sheath-a model plant material, with hierarchical structure, used in eco-friendly foodware. The diffusion process is studied using mass gain measurements and in situ imaging of water transport. By treating the areca sheath as homogeneous ensemble, and incorporating effects of material swelling due- to water absorption, a factor typically neglected in prior studies, the diffusion coefficient Dw for water is estimated as (6.5 ± 2.2) × 10-4 mm2 s-1. It is shown that neglecting the swelling results in gross underestimation of Dw. Microstructural effects (e.g. fibre, matrix) on the diffusion are characterized using in situ imaging of the water transport at high resolution. The observations show that the water diffuses an order of magnitude faster in the matrix (8.63 × 10-4 mm2 s-1) than in the fibres (7.19 × 10-5 mm2 s-1). This non-uniformity is also reflected in the swelling-induced strain in the leaf, mapped by image correlation. Lastly, we vary salt concentration by controlled additions of NaCl and note a non-monotonic dependence of the diffusion on concentration. Implications of the results for improving foodware manufacturing processes and product life are discussed.
Keywords: areca palm; diffusion; foodware; in situ imaging; plant materials; swelling.