Exposure of biocomposites to various environmental conditions is a concern when used for structural and semi-structural outdoor applications. This study investigates the effect of different environmental exposures on the low-velocity impact damage behaviour of flax fibre reinforced epoxy composite and its glass/flax hybrids. Flax and flax/glass hybridised epoxy laminates were fabricated using the vacuum infusion technique. A drop-weight low-velocity impact tests were performed on composite laminates at 5 J of incident energy with sub-zero temperatures, i.e., at (-10°C and − 20°C) and room temperature (R.T.). In order to evaluate the induced damage at different temperatures, micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) and visual inspection techniques were employed. The experimental results show that at a sub-zero temperature of -20°C, the flax and hybrid glass/flax composites showed more brittle damage behaviour than at room temperature. Furthermore, these experimental results have shown that alternating hybrid glass/flax laminates exhibited noticeable transverse cracks at R.T. and − 10°C., with higher absorbed energy and maximum impact load-carrying ability arising from positive hybrid effects. Also, it is evidenced from the results that the hybrid approach can be a viable strategy for achieving improved impact performance of natural plant fibre reinforced composites (NPFRCs) when exposed to different environmental conditions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.