A Review of Flax Fiber Reinforced Thermoset Polymer Composites: Structure and Mechanical Performance

Physical and mechanical properties of kenaf/flax hybrid composites

“…Since flax fiber has high ply thickness and areal density, its composite showed lower FVF than pure kenaf/epoxy composite. Composite fabricated VIM showed lower FVF than composites fabricated by compression molding and pultrusion methods 1,4 . Total fiber loading and void content in hybrid composites (FK1–FK5) were in the range of 29.3%–31.4% FVF and 2.8%–4.9%, respectively.…”

“…However, they have several disadvantages, including moisture and humidity sensitivity, causing a reduction in mechanical performance, and the resulting difficulty in being allowed for exterior components in automotive applications. Among the natural fibers, the bast fibers, such as kenaf, flax, and so forth, have the highest mechanical properties and specific modulus comparable with synthetic fibers such as glass fiber 1,4–6 . Especially, kenaf fiber has rapid growth so that it can reach woody bases with heights of 1.5–4.5 m in less than 5 months, and it can survive under various conditions 7 .…”

“…Natural fibers have a reduced carbon footprint, are more cost-effective, biodegradable, non-toxic, lessen health risks, and reduce abrasion to processing equipment compared to synthetic fillers like glass and carbon fibers used as reinforcement in polymer composites. 1,2 Therefore, natural fibers are becoming increasingly popular, providing solutions for ever-growing environmental concerns. 3 Natural fibers are generally preferred to be used as reinforcements in polymer composites for semi-structural and non-structural applications.…”

“…Among the natural fibers, the bast fibers, such as kenaf, flax, and so forth, have the highest mechanical properties and specific modulus comparable with synthetic fibers such as glass fiber. 1,[4][5][6] Especially, kenaf fiber has rapid growth so that it can reach woody bases with heights of 1.5-4.5 m in less than 5 months, and it can survive under various conditions. 7 In addition, only 20% of the energy (100-900 MJ 54 MJ) 8 required to produce 1 kg of carbon fibers can be used to produce the same amount of kenaf fibers (15 MJ), 9 which is significantly high compared to some other energy-intensive industries, such as steel production (20-30 MJ/kg).…”

“…10 Also, they exhibit good vibration-damping properties 11,12 that make them suitable for automobile interiors, door panels, dashboards, and so forth, 13,14 as well as sporting equipment. 15 They have favorable properties, but their low mechanical properties 1,4,16 and hygroscopic behavior make them less successful in higher-end applications. The performance of natural fiber-reinforced composites (NFCs) has been the subject of numerous studies [17][18][19] in an attempt to improve (1) interface bonding between fiber and matrix, 20 (2) fabrication process, 21 and (3) hybridization of various fibers derived from plants.…”