Author(s)

J. Schuster, Q. Govignon, S. Bickerton

The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand;Centre for Advanced Composite Materials, Glenn Innes, New Zealand.
University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Institut für Kunststofftechnik Westpfalz, Pirmasens, Germany.

Biocomposite panels consisting of biobased thermoset resins (EP, PU, UP, and tannin) and flax fibre reinforcements were produced using the vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding process. Panels based on a conventional chemical-based resin matrix were also produced, and investigated comparatively. Rheometric analyses were performed to evaluate the suitability of these resins for liquid composite moulding. Tensile, shear, and impactbending tests have been carried out to assess the quality and mechanical performance of manufactured laminates. The impregnation quality was assessed by means of ultrasonic-C-scanning and microscopy. It turned out that the properties of the biobased composite panels made of biobased epoxy resin and a biobased UP-resin from the company Nuplex in New Zealand were onlay slightly inferior to those produced with a conventional epoxy resin. A biobased PU-resin from the company USSC in the USA developed voids during curing. A tannin-based resin containing of formaldehyde was not processable.

Biocomposites; Rheological Properties; Mechanical Properties; Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM)

J. Schuster, Q. Govignon and S. Bickerton, "Processability of Biobased Thermoset Resins and Flax Fibres Reinforcements Using Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding," Open Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2014, pp. 1-11. doi: 10.4236/ojcm.2014.41001.