Influence of the degree of retting of flax fibers on the tensile properties of single fibers and short fiber/polypropylene composites

The flax quality required for composite applications is not yet well established. Retting is one of the steps that are not well defined for these applications, and is a critical parameter during flax production. In this study, the influence of the degree of retting of flax on the properties of short flax fiber/polypropylene composites has been assessed. First, the degree of retting of gradually retted flax was measured by both qualitative and quantitative experimental techniques. In addition, water sorption studies were performed. Furthermore, tensile tests were carried out on both single fiber and injected composite materials. The microstructure of the composites was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography. Single fiber and composite tensile properties, as well as water sorption behavior of flax fibers, were found to depend upon the degree of retting.