Flax Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics

S., and Chang, P. (2006) Overview of flax fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites. ASAE Annual Meeting,... 

Extrusion press processing (express processing) was developed for the production of flax fiber-reinforced PP at the research center of Daimler Benz (Ulm, Germany) [62]. In this processing, natural fiber nonwovens and thermoplastic melt-films are alternatively deposited in a tempered molding tool and molded afterwards. The thermoplastic melt-films are laid on by a mobile extruder. If thi.s process is optimally adapted to the element, a single passage by the extruder suffices. The structural order consists of three layers two layers of... 

The lignocellulosic materials mostly used as fillers in thermoplastic composites include wood flour, starch, rice husk and a wide variety of vegetable fibers available such as jute, sisal, flax, hemp, coir, banana, pineapple, among others. And whenever vegetable fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites with higher properties are needed, possible solutions include improved adhesion, better fiber orientation, and filler hybridization with synthetic fibers or mineral fillers. The latter solution is an intermediate alternative regarding environmental friendliness, cost, weight and performance compared to an all synthetic composite [12,26]. 

FI FMQ Flax DIN) Methyl fluorosilicone rubber see also GV Glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics... 

Heijenrath R, Peijs T (1996) Natural-flber-mat reinforced thermoplastic composites based on flax flbers and polypropylene. Adv Compos Lett 5(3) 81-85 Himmelsbach D, Holser R (2008) Flax processing use of waste streams for profit. In 2008 International conference on flax and other bast plants. Saskatoon, Canada, pp 97-103 Hocking P, Randall P, Pinkerton A (1987) Mineral nutrition of linseed and fiber flax. Adv Agron 41 221-296... 

Van de Velde K, Kiekens P (2001) Thermoplastic polymers overview of several properties and their consequences in flax fibre reinforced composites. Polym Test 20(8) 885-893 Van de Weyenberg I, Ivens J, De Coster A, Kino B, Baetens E, Verpoest I (2003) Influence of processing and chemical treatment of flax fibers on their composites. Compos Sci Technol 63 (9) 1241-1246... 

Reinforcement of thermoplastic and thermosetting composites with cellulose fibers is increasingly regarded as an alternative to glass fiber reinforcement. The enviromnental issues in combination with their low cost have recently generated considerable interest in cellulose fibers such as isora, jute, flax, hemp, kenaf, pineapple leaf, and man-made cellulose fibers as fillers for polymer matrices-based composites. 

Polymers reinforced with cellulose fibers have received much attention in recent years because of their low density, nonabrasive, combustible, nontoxic, low cost and biodegradable properties. Several authors have reviewed recent advances in the use of natural fibers in composites like flax [ 1 ], jute [2,3], straw [4], kenaf [5,6], coir [7-9], fique [10], among others. Natural fibers have been used to reinforce thermoplastics and thermosets polymers in automotive and aerospace applications [11]. The influence of surface treatments of natural fibers on interfadal characteristics was also studied [12-17], and Joshi et al. [18] compared the life-cycle environmental performance of natural fiber composites with glass fiber composites. In this study, natural fiber composites were found to be environmentally superior in most applications. 

The use of thermoplastic composites offers several advantages compared to thermoset materials. Their useful properties include high impact resistance, damage tolerance, low price, and recyclability. Hybrid yams containing both reinforcing fibers such as flax fiber and the thermoplastic matrix in the form of fibers such as PP filaments are easier and quicker to manufacture [139-141]. 

O. I. Benevolenski, J. Karger-Kocsis, K. P. Mieck, T. Reussmann (2000) Instrumented perforation impact response of polypropylene composites with hybrid reinforcement flax/glass and flax/cellulose fibers, J. Thermoplast. Compos. Mater. 13,481. 

U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,399 [41] discloses flax bast fibers and flax shives as reinforcing agent for a thermoplastic resin in a composite comprising 15-70% by weight of flax portion and the thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, styrene, and other polymers. 

A number of reviews have been studied on the potential of natural fibers such as sisal, kenaf, hemp, flax, bamboo, and jute for the preparation of thermoplastic composites. In this work, however sisal fiber (SF) has been used as reinforcement due to easily availability and comparatively low cost. The xmtreated and treated SF-reinforced RPP composites have been prepared and investigated their thermal, mechanical, morphological, weathering and impact properties. An improved mechanical, thermal, and morphological property has been observed for chemical treated SF as well as clay loaded RPP. The analysis revealed that SF-reinforced RPP composites with enhanced properties can be successfully achieved which warrants to replace the synthetic fillers-based conventional thermoplastic composites. These SF-based RPP composites can be the material of choice in the field of aeronautic, automobiles, civil engineering, etc., due to its low cost, low density, non-toxicity, recyclability, acceptable strength, high specific properties, and minimum waste disposal problems. 

Glass mat-reinforced sheets are composed of thermoplastic polypropylene (polyamides, polycarbonate, and PVC are occasion options) with glass fibers 1 in. (25 mm) or more in length. A variety of fiber layer types are available such as directional, random, shorter, longer, mats, or weaves. When a natural fiber such as flax is used, the composite is... 

Biocomposites based on matrixes made from biodegradable polymer with reinforcement by natural fibers, such as thermoplastic starch with flax, have great potential as packaging materials of the future [6]. 

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