Visco-elastoplastic Characterization of a Flax-fiber Reinforced Biocomposite

In the presented study, the load induced long-term behavior of a biocomposite material is analyzed. The studied material is a unidirectional flax fiber reinforced epoxy resin, material, whose quasi-static mechanical properties can compare with those of glass fiber composites. Samples with a fiber direction of 0 degrees were subjected to two types of multi-level creep-recovery tests, one with a varying creep duration, and the other with a varying creep stress, with the purpose of discriminating the viscoplastic and viscoelastic behavior of the composite. Results show a significant viscous response in time, dependent on both creep duration and creep stress, up to 20% of the elastic one. Sample damage is absent, leading to the conclusion that the viscoplastic response is caused by the permanent reorganization of the fiber 's internal structure.