Physical and mechanical properties of unidirectional plant fibre composites - an evaluation of the influence of porosity

Unidirectional composites were made from filament wound non-treated flax yarns and polypropylene foils. With increasing composite fibre weight fractions from 0.56 to 0.72, porosity fractions increased from 0.04 to 0.08; a theoretical model was fitted to the data in order to describe the composite volumetric interaction between contents of fibre, matrix and porosity. In the model two porosity components were proposed, a process governed component and a structurally governed component. The composite axial stiffness and strength were in the range 27-29 GPa and 251-321 MPa, respectively. A modified version of the "rule-of-mixtures", supplemented with parameters of composite porosity content and anisotropy of fibre properties, were developed to improve the prediction of composite tensile properties. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.