Cone beam computed tomography for mechanical characterization of Flax/Jute/Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene reinforced phenol formaldehyde composites: A comparative assessment

As the push towards environmental sustainability is getting stronger, the prospects of using natural fibers is growing more popular. This research work compares the flexural and Interlaminar Shear Strength (ILSS) of three varieties of fiber reinforced phenol formaldehyde composites. Prominent natural fibers such as flax and jute fiber woven mats were considered. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber woven fabric was chosen for comparison. Composites were fabricated with hand lay-up and compression molding technique with eight layers of same fabric. Thickness of 4 mm was maintained for all the composite panels. Flax fiber composites performed better than jute and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber composites. Maximum flexural strength of 46 MPa, inter-laminar shear strength of 4.4 MPa was observed in case of flax fiber composites. Jute composites exhibited intermediate strength and least flexural strength of 19 MPa, inter-laminar shear strength of 1.4 MPa was noted for UHMWPE composites. Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) was used for damage characterization. CBCT images revealed failure mechanisms such as laminate bulging, shearing, bending, debonding and delamination.