Effect of quenching process on mechanical properties of flax/polypropylene composites

Abstract

Flax/polypropylene needle - punched nonwovens (550 g /m²) have been produced and then used as a preform for theproduction of composites. In this study, better infiltration of polypropylene melt into the flax fibres has been achieved byaltering the crystal structure of polypropylene in the preform. A modified sequence of production of composites is alsoproposed. The proposed method yields composite with 25, 98 and, 91% improvement in tensile, flexural and short beamstrength properties as compared to the conventional method of manufacturing.