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This study focuses on the retting effect on the mechanical properties of flax biobased materials. For the technical fiber, a direct link was established between the biochemical alteration of technical flax and their mechanical properties. In function of the retting level, technical fibers appeared smoother and more individualized; nevertheless, a decrease in the ultimate modulus and maximum stress was recorded. A biochemical alteration was observed as the retting increased (a decrease in the soluble fraction from 10.4 ± 0.2 to 4.5 ± 1.2% and an increase in the holocellulose fractions). Regarding the mechanical behavior of biocomposites manufactured by thermocompression, a non-elastic behavior was observed for the tested samples. Young moduli (E1 and E2) gradually increased with retting. The retting effect was more pronounced when a normalization was performed (according to the fiber volume and porosity). A 40% increase in elastic modulus could be observed between under-retting (−) and over-retting (+). Moreover, the porosity content (Vp) increased overall with fiber content. Setup 3, with optimized processing parameters, was the most desirable processing protocol because it allowed the highest fiber fraction (Vf) for the lowest Vp.

This research aimed to evaluate, at different scales (technical flax fiber, fiber band and flax composites, bio-based composites), the effect of retting and processing parameters on the biochemical, microstructural, and mechanical properties of flax-epoxy bio-based materials. On the technical flax fiber scale, a biochemical alteration of the fiber was observed as the retting increased (a decrease of the soluble fraction from 10.4 ± 0.2 to 4.5 ± 1.2% and an increase of the holocellulose fractions). This finding was associated with the degradation of the middle lamella, favoring the individualization of the flax fibers observed at retting (+). A direct link was established between the biochemical alteration of technical flax fibers and their associated mechanical properties (decrease of the ultimate modulus 69.9 to 43.6 GPa and maximum stress from 702 to 328 MPa). On the flax band scale, the mechanical properties are driven by the interface quality between the technical fibers. The highest maximum stresses were reached at level retting (0) with 26.68 MPa, which is lower compared to technical fiber. On the bio-based composites scale, setup 3 (T = 160 ∘C) and the high retting level (+) are the most relevant for a better mechanical response of flax bio-based materials.