Mechanical and Physical Testing of Biocomposites, Fibre-Reinforced Composites and Hybrid Composites
3 - Mechanical performance of natural fibers–based thermosetting composites
Abstract
Nowadays, natural fibers captivate researchers and engineers in different fields as an alternative of reinforcements for polymer matrices. Thermosetting composites reinforced with natural fiber are widely used in several fields such as aeronautics, aerospace, and the automotive industry. To determine to which application the manufactured composites is destined, it is necessary to study their mechanical performance (López et al., 2012; Mouritza et al., 1999) [1], [2]. This chapter is devoted to the study of mechanical performance of thermoset composites based on natural fibers used in the reinforcement of thermoset matrices. The study focused on the (1) statics as tensile and bending tests and (2) dynamics as mechanical performances to measure the viscoelasticity of materials. Also, the fabrication and characterization techniques of thermoset composites based on long and short fibers are discussed. The results show that the addition of natural reinforcements improves the mechanical properties of thermoset composites.
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