Fibers 2015, 3(1), 76-89; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib3010076
Novel Hybrid Flax Reinforced Supersap Composites in Automotive Applications
Jinchun Zhu 1, Kirsi Immonen 2, Christophe Avril 3, James Brighton 1, Huijun Zhu 1 and Hrushikesh Abhyankar 1,*
1
Centre of Automotive Technology, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
2
Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus (V.T.T.), Sinitaival 6, FI-33101, Tampere, Finland
3
MahyTec, 210 avenue de Verdun, 39100 Dole, France
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Stephen C. Bondy
Received: 19 December 2014 / Revised: 16 February 2015 / Accepted: 9 March 2015 / Published: 19 March 2015
Abstract
Flax fibre bio-epoxy composites have not found many commercial uses in structural applications on account of their lack of cost efficiency and high susceptibility to environmental changes. Non-woven flax mats were subjected to alkali, acetylation, silane and enzymatic treatment, and then combined with untreated unidirectional (UD) flax fabrics to make hybrid flax bio-epoxy composites. Mechanical and environmental resistance (aging) tests were performed on the treated flax fibres. The glass transition temperature was detected at about 75 °C with little effect of treatments. Untreated composites were found to have a tensile strength of 180 MPa while no significant improvement was observed for any of the treatments, which are also not environmentally friendly. The amiopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) composites after Xenon aging, retained the tensile strength of 175 MPa and a modulus of 11.5 GPa, while untreated composites showed 35% reduction in elastic modulus. View Full-Text
Figure 1
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Zhu, J.; Immonen, K.; Avril, C.; Brighton, J.; Zhu, H.; Abhyankar, H. Novel Hybrid Flax Reinforced Supersap Composites in Automotive Applications. Fibers 2015, 3, 76-89.