14 - Mechanical performance of flax-based biocomposites

Abstract

Due to the increasing development of plant fiber-reinforced composites, the control of their processing is a major industrial key point. Despite analogies with glass fiber materials, exhibit high specificities due to the natural origin and specific structure of the reinforcement. After a structural and biochemical description of the flax fibers, we detail the impact of the process on their morphological and mechanical properties. The third part of this chapter is dedicated to the influence of the process on biocomposites mechanical performances. Thus, we describe the impact of the fiber volume fraction of the fiber geometry and of the process conditions on the composite mechanical properties as well as on its water uptake. Finally, we highlight the injected plant fiber composite microstructure through a presentation of the skin-core effect or of the impact on the fiber bundles on composite performances; we show that an optimized retting could be the key for a great fiber individualization and consequently a performing material.