Comparison between dew‐retted and enzyme‐retted flax fibers as reinforcing material for composites |
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| Authors: | Wei Hu Minh‐Tan Ton‐That Johanne Denault Denis Rho Jianzhong Yang Peter CK Lau |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council of Canada, 75, de Mortagne, Boucherville, Québec, Canada J4B 6Y4;2. Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada H4P 2R2 |
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| Abstract: | Two kinds of retted Canadian linseed flax fibers, dew‐retted (F1) and enzyme‐retted flax fibers (F2) were characterized in detail for their applications in composites, such as retting degree, thermal stability, tensile strength, and interfacial behavior in polypropylene (PP) matrix. It's clear from Scanning Electron Micrograph that the aspect ratio of F2 was much higher than that of F1 in the light of their separated elementary fibers in most cases. Instead, the elementary fibers of F1 remained tightly bundled into technical fiber wrapping with more non‐cellulose portions. This reflected its lower retting degree and resulted in its lower thermal stability. Single fiber tensile test and single fiber pull‐out test were used to evaluate the fiber tensile properties and fiber/PP interfacial shear strength, respectively. Better retting degree and fewer damages on F2 endowed F2 better tensile property. Consequently, higher aspect ratio, retting degree, and tensile strength proved F2 to be a kind of better reinforcing material than F1 for composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. 2011 published by Society of Plastics Engineers |
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