Analysis of the film stacking processing parameters for PLLA/flax fibre biocomposites
Résumé
Nowadays, the market demand for environmentally friendly materials is rapidly increasing. Biodegradable fibres and biodegradable polymers mainly extracted from renewable resources are expected to be a major contribution to the production of new industrial high performance biodegradable composites, partially solving the problem of waste management. At the end of its lifetime, a structural biodegradable composite can be crushed and recycled through a controlled industrial composting process. Bodros et al. [1] showed that biodegradable PLLA (L-polylactide acid)/flax fibres mat composites exhibiting specific tensile properties equivalent to glass fibre polyester composites can be manufactured by an un-optimised film stacking process. In our study, the process has been investigated more extensively. Indeed, the compaction of flax mats requires a higher load than for glass mats of similar areal weight. The transverse permeability of flax mats has also been shown to be lower than for glass mats. In both cases, this is due to a higher degree of entanglement of the flax fibres within the mat. However, the range of permeability and compressibility values of the flax mats are well within the values that allow a good through-thethickness impregnation. Flax fibres cannot sustain long exposures at the impregnation temperature of the mats by PLLA resin. Through-the-thickness impregnation of flax mats processes such as film stacking are more suitable than in-plane impregnation processes such as Resin Transfer Molding because the flow of resin is limited on short distances and allows short times of impregnation.
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