Damage Accumulation and Degradation of Mechanical Properties in Polymer Composites Reinforced with Highly Non-Linear Cellulosic Fibers

摘要

Numbers of studies [1,2] have demonstrated that mechanical performance of natural fibers with high cellulose content, such as flax and hemp for example, compares rather reasonable with the performance of glass fibers, especially if properties normalized with respect to density are considered. Therefore, these fibers have very good potential as reinforcement for polymer composites and they are increasingly being used in combination with synthetic and bio-based polymers. However, there are some drawbacks with respect to utilization of natural fiber properties to the extent that composites based on these reinforcements also can compete with synthetic materials. There are number of well known problems, such as poor adhesion between matrix and fibers, limited fiber length, difficulties associated with control of fiber alignment and orientation.