Quantitative analysis of the effect of fiber dispersion on the mechanical properties of natural fiber composites

摘要

The microstructure of wood fibre composites depends on the processing method used during production. In turn, the mechanical properties of these composites depend on the microstructure. The wood fibre composites industry sometimes uses injection molded specimens as a way to gauge the mechanical properties of their materials, even when the materials are intended to be used in an extrusion process. However, the flow patterns in these two processes are quite different, and differences in microstructure are expected. In this study, X-ray tomography was used to investigate the differences in fibre orientation and dispersion as a result of the different processing methods, and their effects on mechanical properties of natural fibre reinforced thermoplastics (NFRTs).