Quasi-static behaviour and damage assessment of flax/epoxy composites

Abstract Experimental investigations were conducted on flax and E-glass fibres reinforced epoxy matrix composites subjected to quasi-static loadings. Flax/epoxy samples having [0] 12 , [90] 12 , [0/90] 3S and [±45] 3S stacking sequences, with a fibre volume fraction of 43% have been tested under tension, compression and in-plane shear loadings. Overall, the compression strength of glass/epoxy was 76% greater than for the flax/epoxy composite. The damage evolution of flax/epoxy of [0/90] 3S and [±45] 3S samples has been evaluated in terms of transverse crack densities with respect to the load increment. The crack density exhibited a classical “S” shaped pattern for [0/90] 3S and linearly for [±45] 3S specimens versus the applied load. The final crack densities were respectively of 32/cm and 25/cm for the [0/90] 3S and [±45] 3S samples.