Flax fibre and its composites – A review

In recent years, the use of flax fibres as reinforcement in composites has gained popularity due to an increasing requirement for developing sustainable materials. Flax fibres are cost-effective and offer specific mechanical properties comparable to those of glass fibres. Composites made of flax fibres with thermoplastic, thermoset, and biodegradable matrices have exhibited good mechanical properties. This review presents a summary of recent developments of flax fibre and its composites. Firstly, the fibre structure, mechanical properties, cost, the effect of various parameters (i.e. relative humidity, various physical/chemical treatments, gauge length, fibre diameter, fibre location in a stem, oleaginous, mechanical defects such as kink bands) on tensile properties of flax fibre have been reviewed. Secondly, the effect of fibre configuration (i.e. in forms of fabric, mat, yarn, roving and monofilament), manufacturing processes, fibre volume, and fibre/matrix interface parameters on the mechanical properties of flax fibre reinforced composites have been reviewed. Next, the studies of life cycle assessment and durability investigation of flax fibre reinforced composites have been reviewed.     

Manufacturing sisal–polypropylene composites with minimum fibre degradation

Natural fibres, such as sisal, flax and jute, possess good reinforcing capability when properly compounded with polymers. These fibres are relatively inexpensive, originate from renewable resources and possess favourable values of specific strength and specific modulus. Thermoplastic polymers have a shorter cycle time as well as reprocessability despite problems with high viscosities and poor fibre wetting. The renewability of natural fibres and the recyclability of thermoplastic polymers provide an attractive eco-friendly quality to the resulting natural fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials. Common methods for manufacturing natural fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites, injection moulding and extrusion, tend to degrade the fibres during processing. Development of a simple manufacturing technique for sisal fibre-reinforced polypropylene composites, that minimises fibre degradation and can be used in developing countries, is the main objective of this study. Composite sheets with a fibre length greater than 10 mm and a fibre mass fraction in the range 15% to 35% exhibited good mechanical properties.     

An analytical model for number of fibre–fibre contacts in paper and expressions for relative bonded area (RBA)

This paper proposes an analytical model for calculating the number of fibre–fibre contacts per unit fibre length from the cross-sectional dimensions of the fibres in a sheet and sheet density. This model has been verified with data of the number of fibre–fibre contacts measured directly in handsheets. The measured fibre–fibre contacts in the handsheets were classified into full and partial contacts. The model best fits this data when 1.5 partial contacts are equated to one full contact. A plot of measured versus predicted equivalent full contacts produced a linear correlation with a slope of 0.99 and correlation coefficient of R ²  = 0.93. The model was used to derive expressions for the fraction of the available fibre surface, which is bonded to other fibres, a quantity called the Relative Bonded Area (RBA). The validity of the model was checked using experimental data for RBA. RBA was determined both by nitrogen adsorption ( ) and by scattering coefficient (RBA_sc). The extrapolation method of Ingmanson and Thode to determine S ₀, the scattering coefficient of an unbonded sheet, proved to be inaccurate. We estimated S ₀ for some samples from their linear relationship between scattering coefficient and nitrogen adsorption. The new model accurately predicted both and RBA_sc.     

Discrimination of matrix–fibre interactions in all-cellulose nanocomposites

All-cellulose nanocomposites are produced using dissolved microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as the matrix and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs), produced by acid hydrolysis, as the reinforcement. These nanocomposites are then characterised using X-ray diffraction to determine their crystallinity, and Raman spectroscopy to discriminate the reinforcing phase (cellulose I) from the CNWs and the matrix phase (cellulose II) from the dissolved MCC. Mechanical testing of the composites shows that there is a significant systematic reinforcement of the matrix material with the addition of CNWs. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy is used to show that distinct spectroscopic bands for each phase within the composite spectrum can be used to discriminate the effects of both reinforcement and matrix. It is shown that a Raman band located approximately at 1095 cm⁻¹ can be used to follow the micromechanical deformation of the CNWs and matrix, whereas another band located at 895 cm⁻¹ arises purely from the matrix. This spectroscopic fingerprint is used to gain insights into the complex interactions occurring in these potentially recyclable composite materials, and offers a way forward to optimising their properties.     

Preparation of novel fibre–silica–Ag composites: the influence of fibre structure on sorption capacity and antimicrobial activity

Novel fibre–silica–Ag composites with biocidal activity were successfully produced by chemical modifying cotton (CO), wool (WO), silk (SE), polyamide (PA) and polyester (PES) fabrics and CO/PES and WO/PES fabric blends. A silica–Ag coating was prepared using a two-step procedure that included the creation of a silica matrix on the fibre surface via the application of an inorganic–organic hybrid sol–gel precursor [reactive binder (RB)] using a pad-dry-cure method, followed by the in situ synthesis of AgCl particles within the RB-treated fibres from solutions of 0.10 mM and 0.50 mM AgNO₃ and NaCl. The presence of the coating on the fibres was verified by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The bulk concentration of Ag in the coated fibres was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity was determined for the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Aspergillus niger. The results show that the chemical and morphological structures of the fibres directly influenced their absorptivity and affinity for the Ag compound particles. As the amorphous molecular structure of the fibres and the amount of functional groups available as binding sites for Ag⁺ were increased, both the silver solution uptake and the concentration of the absorbed Ag compound particles increased. The chemical binding of Ag to the fibres significantly reduced the effectiveness of the antimicrobial activity of the Ag compound particles. Accordingly, an increase in the concentration of absorbed Ag was required to achieve a biocidal effect.     

Predicting the flexural load–deflection response of steel fibre reinforced concrete from strain, crack-width, fibre pull-out and distribution data

A semi-analytical model is presented, based on conventional principles of mechanics, to predict the flexure behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete. The model uses a stress-block approach to represent the stresses that develop at a cracked section by three discrete stress zones: (a) a compressive zone; (b) an uncracked tensile zone; and (c) a cracked tensile zone. It is further shown that the stress-block, and hence flexural behaviour, is a function of five principal parameters: compressive stress–strain relation; tensile stress–strain relation; fibre pull-out behaviour; the number and distribution of fibres across the cracked section in terms of their positions, orientations and embedment lengths; and the strain/crack-width profile in relation to the deflection of the beam. An experimental investigation was undertaken on both cast and sprayed specimens to obtain relationships for use in the model. The results of the study showed a reasonable agreement between the model predictions and experimental results. However, the accuracy of the model is probably unacceptable for it to be currently used in design. A subsequent analysis highlighted the single fibre pull-out test and the sensitivity of the strain analysis tests as being the main cause of the discrepancies.     

Synthesis of α-alumina fibre from modified aluminium alkoxide precursor

Polycrystalline alumina fibre was successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of a preceramic fibre formed from aluminium compounds with alkoxy and chelate ligands. A mixture of ethyl 3-oxobutanoatodiisopropoxyaluminium (EOPA) and tri-sec-butoxyaluminium (SBA) was reacted with glacial acetic acid yielding a polymeric product. The IR absorptions at 630 and 700 cm^–1 due to the Al-O bond changed from sharp to broad bands by treatment with acetic acid. The ²⁷Al resonance at 35 p.p.m. increased in intensity when EOPA-SBA (7/3) was treated with 30 mol% acetic acid. An increase in the EOPA to SBA ratio 5/5 to 9/1 also raised the intensity of the signal at 35 p.p.m. The viscosity of the polymeric product increased in intensity as the amount of acetic acid increased. The viscosity of precursor increased with increasing the ratio of EOPA to SBA, and decreased with increasing measurement temperature from 45 to 75°C. The precursor polymer pyrolysed at 500°C in air was amorphous to X-rays, and crystallized in -alumina at 840°C. The precursor fibres were pyrolysed to yield finegrained fibres of -alumina at 1200°C for 1 h.     

Oxygen inhibition of autopolymerization of polymethylmethacrylate–glass fibre composite

The aim of this study was to determine the thickness of the unpolymerized surface layer of autopolymerizing polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and PMMA–glass fibre (GF) composite. Powder-to-liquid (P/L) ratios of 10 : 8, 10 : 9 and 10 : 10 by weight of the commercial PMMA was tested and the E-glass fibre weave was used as filler in the PMMA–GF composite. The resin was polymerized between two glass plates at 55°C in air under an air pressure of 300 kPa. Five samples were polymerized for each test group. The inhibition depth was measured by a light microscopic technique with polarized light. The inhibition depth was affected by the P/L ratio of the PMMA: the mean inhibition depth of the unfilled PMMA with the P/L ratio of 10 : 10 was 248.6 m, while it was 175.4 m in PMMA with the P/L ratio of 10 : 8 (p=0.044). The inhibition depths were higher in the PMMA–GF composite than in the plain PMMA, which was explained by an inadequate impregnation of the GF weave with the PMMA resin. The results suggest that improper impregnation of the fibre product with autopolymerizing PMMA resin can cause oxygen inhibition of the polymerization reaction which should be taken into account when fibre products are clinically used.     

Development of vegetable fibre–mortar composites of improved durability

The primary concern for vegetable fibre reinforced mortar composites (VFRMC) is the durability of the fibres in the alkaline environment of cement. The composites may undergo a reduction in strength and toughness as a result of weakening of the fibres by a combination of alkali attack and mineralisation through the migration of hydration products to lumens and spaces. This paper presents several approaches used to improve the durability performance of VFRMCs incorporating sisal and coconut fibres. These include carbonation of the matrix in a CO₂-rich environment; the immersion of fibres in slurried silica fume prior to incorporation in the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) matrix; partial replacement of OPC matrix by undensified silica fume or blast-furnace slag and a combination of fibre immersion in slurried silica fume and cement replacement. The durability of the modified VFRMC was studied by determining the effects of ageing in water, exposure to cycles of wetting and drying and open air weathering on the microstructures and flexural behaviour of the composites. Immersion of natural fibres in a silica fume slurry before their addition to cement-based composites was found to be an effective means of reducing embrittlement of the composite in the environments studied. Early cure of composites in a CO2-rich environment and the partial replacement of OPC by undensified silica fume were also efficient approaches in obtaining a composite of improved durability. The use of slag as a partial cement replacement had no effect on reducing the embrittlement of the composite.     

Effect of post-curing on properties of carbon fibre–epoxy composites

Abstract

The effect of post-curing on the moisture absorption characteristics of Fibredux 914/T300 carbon fibre–epoxy composites, and hence on their thermomechanical behaviour, has been examined. Laminates 1 mm thick were post-cured at 190 or 210°C for 4 or 10 h. The various cross-link densities thus established had almost no effect on the moisture absorption behaviour. Interlaminar shear strength and torsion pendulum tests gave similar results, in that the cross-link density had almost no influence on the dynamic shear modulus or the mechanical dissipation factor. From these findings, environmental degradation of the composite is shown to depend on the content of absorbed water. The behaviour of the composite in hot, humid conditions therefore cannot be improved by post-curing treatment.

MST/400     

Hydrothermal ageing of jute-glass fibre hybrid composites — an acousto-ultrasonic study

Studies of damage under hydrothermal ageing incurred by random fibre glass-reinforced laminates and jute-glass fibre hybrid composites have been carried out using an acoustoultrasonic technique. It is shown that the stress wave factor is a sensitive indicator of flexural strength reduction due to hydrothermal effects in both these composites. The incorporation of jute into glass fibre composites brings about a reduction in the rate of degradation of these composites. The treatment of jute with a silane coupling agent marginally improves the strength properties of the hybrids.     

Self-seeded multi-wavelength Brillouin–erbium fibre laser with 20 GHz frequency gap

We demonstrate a self-seeded multi-wavelength Brillouin–erbium fibre laser with double Brillouin frequency gap. The twice channel gap is induced by the gain difference in different directions. Thirty-six stable output channels with 20?GHz frequency gap are obtained when the 980?nm pump power is 300?mW. The factor that induces the double frequency gap is investigated and proved.     

Thermal expansion of cross-ply and woven carbon fibre–copper matrix composites

This paper presents thermal expansion data for cross-ply and woven copper matrix–carbon fibre composites (Cu–C_f MMCs) that were prepared by diffusion bonding. Thermal expansion was measured in two perpendicular in-plane directions of plate samples. For cross-ply samples (57 vol.%fibres) the mean coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between −20 and 300°C changed from approximately 6.5×10⁻⁶/°C to 3.5×10⁻⁶/°C during heating/cooling. The in-plane CTE increases with decreasing fibre content. Composites with woven arrangement of carbon fibres show a slightly higher CTE at elevated temperature.     

In vivo lamellar bone formation in fibre coated MgCHA–PCL-composite scaffolds

Bio-inspired materials with controlled topography have gained increasing interest in regenerative medicine, because of their ability to reproduce the physical features of natural extracellular matrix, thus amplifying certain biological responses both in vitro and in vivo, such as contact guidance and differentiation. However, information on the ability to adapt this high cell potential to 3D scaffolds, effective to be implanted in clinical bone defect, is still missing. Here, we examine the pattern of bone tissue generated within the implant in an ectopic model, seeding bone marrow progenitor cells onto PCL-MgCHA scaffolds. This composite material presented a porous structure with micro/nanostructured surfaces obtained by combining phase inversion/salt leaching and electrospinning techniques. Histological analysis of grafts harvested after 1-2-6 months from implantation highlights an extent of lamellar bone tissue within interconnected pores of fibre coated PCL-MgCHA composites, whereas uncoated scaffolds displayed sparse deposition of bone. Pure PCL scaffolds did not reveal any trace of bone for the overall 6 months of observation. In conclusion, we show that a structural modification in scaffold design is able to enhance bone regeneration possibly mimicking some physiological cues of the natural tissue.     

Interfacial stress state present in a “thin-slice” fibre push-out test

An analysis of the stress distributions along the fibre-matrix interface in a thin-slice fibre push-out test is presented for selected test geometries. For the small specimen thicknesses often required to displace large-diameter fibres with high interfacial shear strengths, finite element analysis indicates that large bending stresses may be present. The magnitude of these stresses and their spatial distribution can be very sensitive to the test configuration. For certain test geometries, the specimen configuration itself may alter the interfacial failure process from one which initiates due to a maximum in shear stress near the top surface adjacent to the indentor, to one which involves mixed mode crack growth up from the bottom surface and/or yielding within the matrix near the interface.     

Environmental durability of z-pinned carbon fibre–epoxy laminate exposed to water

The influence of z-pins on the water absorption properties of a quasi-isotropic carbon fibre–epoxy laminate is assessed. Fibrous composite pins accelerate the moisture absorption rate and increase the total absorbed moisture concentration when the laminate is immersed in water. However, the moisture absorption properties of the laminate are not affected significantly by pins when exposed to hot and humid air. Water diffusion into the z-pinned laminate is aided by interfacial cracks between the pins and laminate. Also, the axial alignment of fibres within the composite pins in the through-thickness direction increases the water absorption rate. Pin pull-out tests reveal that water absorption reduces the mode I crack bridging traction load generated by pins by reducing the shear strength of the pin-laminate interface. This indicates that the mode I delamination toughness induced by pinning is weakened by moisture absorption.     

Tensile properties of carbon fibres and carbon fibre–polymer composites in fire

The effect of fire on the tensile properties of carbon fibres is experimentally determined to provide new insights into the tensile performance of carbon fibre–polymer composite materials during fire. Structural tests on carbon–epoxy laminate reveal that thermally-activated weakening of the fibre reinforcement is the dominant softening process which leads to failure in the event of a fire. This process is experimentally investigated by determining the reduction to the tensile properties and identifying the softening mechanism of T700 carbon fibre following exposure to simulated fires of different temperatures (up to 700 °C) and atmospheres (air and inert). The fibre modulus decreases with increasing temperature (above ～500 °C) in air, which is attributed to oxidation of the higher stiffness layer in the near-surface fibre region. The fibre modulus is not affected when heated in an inert (nitrogen) atmosphere due to the absence of surface oxidation, revealing that the stiffness loss of carbon fibre composites in fire is sensitive to the oxygen content. The tensile strength of carbon fibre is reduced by nearly 50% following exposure to temperatures over the range 400–700 °C in an air or inert atmosphere. Unlike the fibre modulus, the reduction in fibre strength is insensitive to the oxygen content of the atmosphere during fire. The reduction in strength is possibly attributable to very small (under ～100 nm) flaws and removal of the sizing caused by high temperature exposure.     

Rate dependent deformation of carbon fibre reinforced Al–Li metal matrix composite

Abstract

The dynamic deformation characteristics and failure behaviour of laminated carbon fibre reinforced Al–Li metal matrix composite has been studied experimentally with the objective of investigating the dependence of mechanical properties on the applied strain rate and fibre volume fraction. A vacuum melting/casting process was used for manufacturing the tested composite. Impact testing was performed using a Saginomiya 100 metal forming machine and a compressive split Hopkinson bar over a strain rate range of 10^-1 s^-1 to 3×10³ s^-1. It is shown that the flow stress of the composite increases with strain rate and fibre volume fraction. The highest elongation to fracture values were found at low rate loading conditions, although a significant increase in ductility is obtained in the dynamic range. The composite appears to exhibit a lower rate of work hardening during dynamic deformation. Strain rate sensitivity and activation volume are strongly dependent on strain rate and fibre volume fraction. Fractographic analysis using scanning electron microscopy reveals that there is a distinct difference in the morphologies of the fractures, with corresponding different damage mechanisms, between specimens tested at low and high strain rates. Both strain rate and fibre volume fraction are important in controlling fibre fragment length and the density of the Al–Li debris. The relationships between mechanical response and fracture characteristics are also discussed.     

Ultra-high-modulus polyethylene fibre composites: II—Effect of resin composition on properties

The mechanical behaviour of thermosetting resin composites reinforced with ultra-high-modulus polyethylene fibres has been studied. Polyester and epoxy resins with a range of chemical composition and different breaking elongations have been used. Although there were no major differences in mechanical behaviour due to resin composition, small but significant changes were observed in the impact energy and compressive strength of the different formulations.