Fracture Behavior of Extren at Room Temperature and 77 K

Abstract

Unlike most fiber-reinforced polymer composites, the measured interlaminar fracture energy of the glass-polyester Extren is significantly greater at 77 K than at room temperature (298 K). Composite microfailure is adhesive at room temperature but cohesive at 77 K. SEM and acoustic emission results suggest the enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness at 77 K is associated with increased matrix cracking which occurs at cryogenic conditions. The additional fracture surfaces increase the amount of released surface energy.

Biodegradability of nonwoven flax fiber reinforced polylactic acid biocomposites

“…Most biodegradable polymers have excellent properties comparable to many petroleum‐based plastics and they are readily biodegradable, and may compete with commodity plastic. However, some of the properties such as brittleness, low heat distortion temperature and low melt viscosity restrict their applications in real life . Polylactic acid (PLA) is a versatile compostable polymer that is made from renewable resources such as corn.…”