Preliminary Investigation into Tensile Characteristics of Long Flax Fibre Reinforced Composite Material

Natural fibre composites are materials formed by polymer resin matrix and reinforced with natural fibres mainly formed by cellulose, originating thus from plants, such as hemp, jute, flax, sisal, banana, etc. The advantage of natural fibre materials is their biodegradability and the fact that they are a renewable resource. In Estonia, the most common plant for natural fibre manufacturing has been flax due to its long tradition of cultivation. Flax is currently no longer grown for textile production because of the economic situation, although the weather conditions are very suitable. Nevertheless, flax is still cultivated in small quantities for linseed oil production in Estonia. Experimental methods for manufacturing non-woven industrial textiles like felt and mats from short flax fibres are depicted. Long flax fibres were used as reinforcement in matrix of epoxy resin for experimental manufacturing of natural fibre reinforced composite material. The most important characteristic of all non-woven materials is tensile strength. The results of the tested natural fibre composite materials are presented. The potential fields of application for long flax fibre reinforced composite material are car, marine and windmill industry.