Abstract
Abstract Confocal microscopy, field-emission SEM and acoustic emission experiments were used to investigate fracture mechanisms in composites made from epoxy resin reinforced with unidirectional Phormium tenax (harakeke) leaf fibre. Resin filled the lumens of a large proportion of thin-walled vascular cells and bundle sheath cells, and also filled some of the fibre cells in assemblies that had been split during fibre processing, but rarely penetrated intact thick-walled fibre cells. Vascular tissue and cuticular matter were particularly susceptible to brittle fracture. Cell–cell debonding was abundant on fracture surfaces. Low-, medium- and high-energy acoustic events showed transient signals of similar duration, constructed from similar frequencies and differing only in amplitude. The wide distribution of event energies was attributed to the diversity of types of technical fibres, from assemblies of a few thin-walled cells to assemblies of hundreds of thick-walled fibre cells.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
