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This study aims at better understanding the damage and fracture kinetics in flax fibre elements at both the unitary and bundle scales, using an experimental setup allowing optical observation at high recording rate in the course of tensile loading. Defects and issues from flax unitary fibre extraction are quantitated using polarized light microscopy. Tensile loading is conducted according to a particular setup, adapted to fibres of 10 to 20 µm in diameter and 10 mm in length. Optical recording using a high-speed camera is performed during loading up to the failure at acquisition, with speed ranging from 108,000 to 270,000 frames per second. Crack initiation in polymer layers of fibre elements, propagation as well as damage mechanisms are captured. The results show different failure scenarios depending on the fibre element’s nature. In particular, fractured fibres underline either a fully transverse failure propagation or a combination of transverse and longitudinal cracking with different balances. Image recordings with high time resolution of down to 3.7 μs suggest an unstable system and transverse crack speed higher than 4 m/s and a slower propagation for longitudinal crack deviation. Failure propagation monitoring and fracture mechanism studies in individual natural fibre or bundles, using tensile load with optical observation, showed contrasted behaviour and the importance of the structural scale exanimated. This study can help in tailoring the eco-design of flax-based composites, in terms of toughness and mechanical performances, for both replacement of synthetic fibre materials and innovative composites with advanced properties.

The tow sliding defect cause of the apparition of gaps in the reinforcement during woven reinforcement preforming is due to tows failing to accommodate the shape and sliding instead of holding together. The main reason for the defect formation can be attributed to increased pressure or tensions in some tows. Several parameters such as the reinforcement material, weave and tows orientation can significantly impact the sliding of tows and the apparition of the defect. In order to assess the tow sliding, it is important to understand the frictional behavior of the tows as units and the effect of the cohesion of the reinforcement as a whole. In this study, the frictional behavior of the tows was compared to their sliding behavior inside the reinforcement as whole in different conditions using two different methods.

Flax fibres are valuable reinforcements for tomorrow's composites. However, defects called kink-bands, which mainly appear on fibres during the extraction and transformation phases, might affect their mechanical properties. Defects induced pores, within the kink-band are investigated in this work. They were morphologically explored using synchrotron phase-contrast X-ray microtomography, a technique that displays a sharp 3D representation of the pores. The study highlights the link between kink-bands and secondary cell wall ultrastructure. Pores are organised concentrically around the lumen, and their low thickness suggest that they are located at the interface between cellulose layers within S2 (G) layer. Moreover, the pores inclination with reference to the lumen axis follows the typical microfibrillar angle changes observed in the literature in the kink-band region. The volumes of the pores were measured, and a local increase in porosity was revealed in zones where defects are most severe along the fibre., 12 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Industrial Crops and Products (ISSN 0926-6690)

Following their mechanical extraction, the fibers coming from the banana pseudo-stem are coarse and the inter fiber cohesive substances need to be removed before their transformation into textile y...

Resistance to impact thrust is one of the most important requirement along with many others for defining suitable applications of any composite materials. In this present work, the influence of composite architecture and composite interfacial bonding strength on the impact performance of flax reinforced PP composites have been investigated. In this regard two different composite architecture through conventional film stacking method and through DREF (DR. E. Fehrer open-end friction spinning process) yarn consolidation method have been produced and to alter the fibre–matrix interfacial bonding the flax fibres are treated with MAgPP (Maleic Anhydride grafted Polypropylene). Finally, the notch Izod impact behaviour of all composite samples are evaluated and compared.

The creation and ultrastructure of kink-bands in flax fibres are key issues for developing more and more performing biobased composite materials. Nevertheless, despite many hypotheses and structural characterization, the exact origin of kink-bands and the moment they appear remain unexplained. Here, by using cutting-edge techniques such as microtomography, a range of flax stems and fibres, from the green stem to stretched fibres, were morphologically explored. The study shows that all the extracted fibres, whether scutched, combed or stretched, contain significant amounts of kink-bands, which can be identified by the large pores they contain. On the other hand, at the scale of the green or retted stems, tomographic analysis does not reveal any kink-bands. These original observations suggest that the stress undergone by the plants during their growth is not sufficient, without major growth or lodging accidents, to generate these structural defects; the latter are only revealed after mechanical extraction of the fibres. Hypotheses regarding the kink-band appearance deformation levels are also given to complete the observations., Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in Industrial Crops and Products (ISSN 0926-6690)

Recycling of thermoplastic composites has drawn a considerable attention in the recent years. However, the main issue with recycled composites is their inferior mechanical properties compared to the virgin ones. In this present study, an alternative route to the traditional mechanical recycling technique of thermoplastic composites has been investigated with the view to increase mechanical properties of the recycled parts. In this regard, the glass/polypropylene laminate offcuts are cut in different grain sizes and processed in bulk form, using compression moulding. Further, the effect of different grain sizes (i.e., different lengths, widths and thicknesses) and other process-related parameters (such as mould coverage) on the tensile properties of recycled aggregate-reinforced composites have been investigated. The tensile properties of all composite samples are tested according to ISO 527-4 test method and the significance of test results is evaluated according to Student’s t-test and Fisher’s F-test respectively. It is observed that the tensile moduli of the recycled panels are close to the equivalent quasi-isotropic continuous fibre-reinforced reference laminate while there is a noteworthy difference in the strengths of the recycled composites. At this stage, the manufactured recycled composites show potential for stiffness-driven application.

International audience; Currently, the effects of global warming are one of the most important topics on the agendas of all governments and international economic and scientific organisations on the planet. Temperatures and rainfall will be especially subjected to increasing deregulation, and thus crop yields will be affected according to geographic location. Cellulosic materials, such as bast fibres, are considered one solution to decrease human environmental impact: they are a renewable resource, biodegradable and have a lower carbon emission than synthetic materials. However, their quality, yield and mechanical properties depend on environmental conditions during plant growth. In this paper, we explored the possible impact of seasonal drought linked to future climate change on flax plants and fibre quality. Two batches of the same textile flax plant cultivar were grown under two different field environmental conditions in the same year, one taken as a control under regular climatic conditions and the second one grown under drought stress. Carbon isotopic discrimination reveal an increase in water stress plant of the fibre δ13C, reflecting that plants are indeed suffering from drought stress from a physiological point of view. We characterized the mechanical properties, biochemistry and morphology parameters at both the stem and technical fibre scales. Our results showed that the plants of the two batches were morphologically different and that the drought-stressed plants were smaller, mainly in terms of the height of the stem (−28%) and diameter (−16%). Biochemical analyses highlighted a contrasting lignin content between the two batches. A difference in protein content was also measured, with an increased amount in stressed flax plants, with contrasting distributions revealed by tyrosine and tryptophan monitored by synchrotron UV fluorescence. In addition, polysaccharide composition was also quantified with an increase in mannose and an important decrease in glucose in the drought-stressed technical fibres. Surprisingly, despite the difference in biochemistry composition and morphological parameters, the mechanical properties of elementary flax fibres extracted from the two batches were not significantly different. This suggests that drought can affect the yield and biochemistry of the extracted technical flax fibres but does not necessarily impact the longitudinal mechanical performance of single fibres.

International audience; Linseed flax is a multipurpose crop. It is cultivated for its seeds and particularly for its oil. The main contributors for this crop are Canada, France and Belgium. In general, straws of linseed flax are buried in the fields or burnt. However, these solutions are not good practices for the environment and from an economical point of view. In this study, straws of linseed flax (six batches in total) with different dew retting durations and harvesting techniques were studied to possibly use them for producing innovative geotextiles. Two different fibre extraction processes were investigated. A first process (A) involved horizontal breaker rollers and then a breaking card. A second one (B) consisted in using vertical breaker rollers, and an “all fibre” extraction device (fibre opener) followed by sieving. The chemical composition of fibres in parietal constituents appeared to be globally equivalent to the one of textile flax with a pectic content decreasing as a function of the dew retting duration. This contributed to an increase in the cellulose content. The fibre content was situated in a range from 29% to 33%, which corresponds to a good yield for linseed flax fibre. The level of purity can reach values of up to 90% for method A (without extra-sieving) and 96% for method B (with extra-sieving), and the length of the fibres (larger for method A than for method B) and their tensile properties make them suitable for structural geotextile yarn manufacturing.

International audience; Retting of fibrous plants such as flax is an essential step in the extraction of fibre bundles and their transformation into textiles and reinforcement fabrics for use in garments and composites. Dew-retting is traditionally performed from Northwest France to the Netherlands, as the climate is highly favourable for this process. Hemp is a plant that can be grown almost all over Europe with a low environmental impact. A retting step is also required to facilitate the separation of the hemp fibres before their transformation into textiles for garments or for 1D to 3D reinforcement composites, which requires thoroughly separated fibres. Dew-retting is currently used in flax production zones. The present work demonstrates that dew retting can be conducted under different climates on different soils, from dry Mediterranean environments up to the cooler regions of eastern France. If the ternary combination of moisture, temperature and solar radiation is appropriate, field retting (dew-retting) can be as short as about three weeks. In less favourable conditions, such as in dryer areas or when retting is performed late in the season after seed maturity (cooler temperatures), it lasts longer, but it can reach suitable levels. When conducted with care and with proper monitoring of the retting level, the dew-retting process does impact neither the tensile properties of elementary hemp fibres (by degrading crystalline cellulose I) nor the tensile properties of unidirectional and injected composite materials. Consequently, if extracted with a suitable process such as scutching and hackling, fibres suitable for load-bearing composites can be produced from dew-retted hemp stems produced in a wide range of climates and locations, therefore not limited to the conventional “dew retting zone” of flax production areas.

International audience; A versatile twin-screw extrusion process to provide an efficient thermo-mechano-chemical pre-treatment on lignocellulosic biomass before using it as source of mechanical reinforcement in fully bio-based fiberboards was developed. Various lignocellulosic crop by-products have already been successfully pre-treated through this process, e.g., cereal straws (especially rice), coriander straw, shives from oleaginous flax straw, and bark of both amaranth and sunflower stems.The extrusion process results in a marked increase in the average fiber aspect ratio, leading to improved mechanical properties of fiberboards. The twin-screw extruder can also be fitted with a filtration module at the end of the barrel. The continuous extraction of various chemicals (e.g., free sugars, hemicelluloses, volatiles from essential oil fractions, etc.) from the lignocellulosic substrate, and the fiber refining can, therefore, be performed simultaneously.The extruder can also be used for its mixing ability: a natural binder (e.g., Organosolv lignins, protein-based oilcakes, starch, etc.) can be added to the refined fibers at the end of the screw profile. The obtained premix is ready to be molded through hot pressing, with the natural binder contributing to fiberboard cohesion. Such a combined process in a single extruder pass improves the production time, production cost, and may lead to reduction in plant production size. Because all the operations are performed in a single step, fiber morphology is better preserved, thanks to a reduced residence time of the material inside the extruder, resulting in enhanced material performances. Such one-step extrusion operation may be at the origin of a valuable industrial process intensification.Compared to commercial wood-based materials, these fully bio-based fiberboards do not emit any formaldehyde, and they could find various applications, e.g., intermediate containers, furniture, domestic flooring, shelving, general construction, etc.

Despite the increased use of hemp fiber, negligible attention has been given to upgrade the hemp hurd, which constitutes up to 70 wt % of the hemp stalk and is currently considered a low-value byproduct. In this work, valorization of hemp hurd was performed by reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) in the presence of a metal catalyst. We found an unexpectedly high yield of monophenolic compounds (38.3 wt %) corresponding to above 95% of the theoretical maximum yield. The high yield is explained by both a thin cell wall and high S-lignin content. In addition, organosolv pulping was performed to generate a pulp that was bleached to produce dissolving-grade pulp suitable for textile fiber production (viscosity, 898 mL/g; ISO-brightness, 90.2%) and nanocellulose. Thus, we have demonstrated a novel value chain from a low-value side stream of hemp fiber manufacture that has the potential to increase textile fiber production with 100% yield and also give bio-oil for green chemicals., Hemp hurd, a byproduct from hemp fiber production, was successfully valorized by reductive catalytic fractionation to give high yields of monophenolic compounds and a pulp suitable for textiles or nanocellulose.

International audience; Increasing the production of high-performance natural fibres that minimise their impact on the environment is a challenge that flax (Linum usitatissinum L.) cannot address alone. In flax traditional production territories, hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) can be a complementary source of high added value fibres if their yield of long line fibres can be maximised to levels equivalent to the one of flax. The objective of the present work was to establish process parameters maximising the long line fibre yield using flax dedicated scutching and hackling devices. A lab-scale scutching/hackling device was used to establish sets of process parameters which best improve the long fibre scutching yield and as a consequence minimise the production of tow fibres. Decreases in straw processing transfer and beating speeds during scutching were necessary so that to be less aggressive on the straw and fibres. Very high long fibre yields were obtained after scutching and hackling at the laboratory scale (18 % of the hemp straw mass). These very high results, combined to high straw yield production in the field indicate that hemp can be a very productive source of high-performance fibres as these ones showed tensile properties completely suitable for a textile use as well as for load bearing composite materials. If the potential of high production yields and high mechanical and morphological properties was demonstrated at the lab-scale, this one should be improved at the industrial scale. Suggestions to reach this goal are provided to prevent too high transformation of long fibres into tows and to keep the mechanical potential maximum. When using optimised parameters and a lab-scale scutching/hackling device, it was demonstrated that hemp has the potential for providing equivalent amounts of long fibres per hectare than flax with tensile properties about 20 % lower than the ones of flax.

International audience; The tow-sliding defect also referred to as gapping that appears during complex shaping of woven reinforcementsis due to a loss of cohesion in the fabric. The cohesion of the fabric tends to keep the tows from sliding undertension. This cohesion depends on the frictional behavior of the tows mainly. Other factors such as the weaveof the fabric, the tensions and shear state of the fabric during forming play an important role as well. An analysisof the frictional behaviors of the tows coupled to out of plane pull-out tests to determine the influence theaforementioned parameters on the cohesion of the reinforcements was then carried out. It was showed that thecohesion of the fabric, limiting the risk of appearance of tow sliding defect, can be improved by increasing thetransverse tow tension in low shear region, and by the in-plane shear itself in highly sheared zones.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) has been grown since the antiquity for tis ability to provide fibres for the confection of clothes. It has also been used for the production of technical fabrics such as sails for example. In the 20th century, and particularly in Europe, the vegetal fibres such as flax were progressively replaced by synthetic fibres from petroleum origin. However, a large regain of interest for vegetal fibres and particularly for flax fibres was observed in the last 2 decades for using these fibres in challenging new applications for which the environmental impact is considered. Different varieties of Linum usitatissimum L. have been selected by breeder to optimise the production of fine long fibres (textile flax) or to optimise the production of seeds (linseed or oleaginous flax). In both cases, bast fibres can be extracted from the flax stems. This chapter shows that the fibres extracted from either textile or linseed flax varieties can be used for different technical textiles for high added value applications. In a first part, the chapter deals with the different processes used to extract and prepare the fibres for textile applications according to the growth and harvesting techniques considered. In a second part, different manufacturing processes or techniques to produce flax fibre non-woven and woven textiles for composite reinforcements are presented. A discussion about the interest of selecting a particular type of yarn or a particular 2D or 3D architecturation technique is also presented in relation to different composite requirements and applications. The third part of this chapter is dedicated to the interest of using flax fibres for non-woven and woven geotextile applications. Specificities associated to the use of biodegradable vegetal fibres are presented and solutions to control the degradation time of the textiles with a minimum impact on the environment are also discussed in the document.

International audience; This work assesses the potential of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) fibers produced on contaminated lands for composite applications. The nettles studied in this work grew spontaneously and in a prevalent manner in poplar short rotation coppice planted for the phytomanagement of a land contaminated by traces of metals. Results show that the contaminant contents in nettle bast fibers are low: only traces were measured. It makes it possible to consider this biomass for material use. The measured matter yield is lower than those obtained with traditional fiber crops cultivated in Europe on agricultural lands but the tensile properties of the bast fibers are equal to or better than those of hemp and flax, making spontaneous nettle an interesting supplement to traditional European fiber crops for composite applications

International audience; The significant industrial development of non-woven biocomposites requires the implementation of environmentally and economically coherent end-of-life recycling solutions. In this study, we studied the recycling of a non-woven poly-(propylene)-flax composite by injection but also by thermo compression. For comparison, a material with the same architecture but reinforced by glass fibres was studied. Both recycling methods showed strong specificities. Injection recycling leads to efficiently homogenised microstructures of the parts but also to drastically reduced lengths of the fibres, up to 10 times lower than with compression moulding. This method globally promotes high failure strengths while compression moulding, by preserving the length of the fibrous reinforcements, guarantees higher stiffness. This work also highlights the impacts of the length and division of the fibre elements on the microstructure of the injected parts; thus, after a series of compression recycling cycles, injected parts exhibit an important skin-core effect larger than after initial injection recycling cycles, whether in terms of orientation or local fibre volume fraction. As a consequence, after a series of recycling by compression, a new injection cycle has for effect to improve the tensile mechanical performances. For example, the strength and modulus of PP-flax composites are increased by 103% and 75%, respectively. These results highlight the technical feasibility and relevance of implementing these two recycling methods, depending on the volumes or equipment available and the final properties to promote, as they enable the production of new highperformance parts.

International audience; Preforming is the first step to manufacture a complex composite part via Liquid Composite Moulding processes. The defects that may be encountered during this phase within the preform architecture may decrease the expected mechanical performances of the final part. The intra-ply yarn sliding is a defect frequently observed during preforming of a woven preform but its mechanism is far from being fully understood. The aim of this study is to analyse the mechanism of this defect arising when preforming of a carbon woven fabric into hemispheric shape. An experimental study followed by analytical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the process parameters, material properties and ply configuration conditions on the yarn tension and contact stresses. A significant effect of the yarn tension and the contact shear stresses on the defect occurrence was demonstrated. Based on this analysis, solutions were tested with success to prevent this defect.

International audience; The use of composite materials reinforced by flax fibres has been increasing steadily over the last 20 years. These fibres show attractive mechanical properties but also some particularities (naturally limited length, presence of a lumen, fibres grouped in bundles in the plant, complex surface properties and composition). An analysis of the available literature indicates that the quality of the composite materials studied is not always optimal (high porosity, incomplete impregnation, heterogeneous microstructure, variable fibre orientation). This paper reviews published data on the specific nature of flax fibres with respect to manufacturing of biocomposites (defined here as polymers reinforced by natural fibres). All the important steps in the process which influence final properties are analyzed, including the plant development, retting, fibre extraction, fibre treatment, preform preparation, available manufacturing processes, the impregnation step, fibre cell wall changes during processing and fibre/matrix adhesion. © 2018, Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.

Fibres from hemp stems can be extracted through different mechanical processes following dew or water retting etc. Extraction processes generally have a significant impact on mechanical and morphological properties of the fibres. In this study, hemp fibres are extracted following three different ways. In the first route hemp fibres are extracted from FUTURA 75 variety stems by performing scutching, hackling and microwave degumming. A second batch of fibres of the same variety was extracted by scutching and hackling after an initial microwave degumming treatment. In the third route, the same variety of hemp fibres are extracted from dew retted stems grown at Piacenza (Italy). Finally, the mechanical properties of single fibres as well as the fineness of technical fibres of all types of extracted fibres are evaluated and compared and the interest of the microwave degumming for hemp stem is evaluated.

National audience; In this study, fiberboards were produced from shives collected after continuous fiber mechanical extraction from oleaginous flax straw. Fiberboards were produced through thermo-pressing, and their mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties were studied, as well as their water resistance. The influence of one pretreatment for shives and lignin addition was investigated on the different properties. Boards obtained were all cohesive hardboards. The optimal board was obtained from fibers extruded from shives and without addition of any supplementary lignin amount. Looking at its characteristics and standard NF EN 312, the latter perfectly complied with the requirements for type P1 boards, i.e. boards for general uses in dry conditions.; Dans cette étude, des panneaux agglomérés de fibres ont été produits à partir d’anas collectés après extraction mécanique des fibres libériennes de paille de lin oléagineux. Les panneaux ont été mis en oeuvre par thermopressage. Leurs propriétés mécaniques et thermo-mécaniques ont été étudiées ainsi que leur comportement vis-à-vis de l’eau. L’influence d’un prétraitement thermo-mécanique des anas bruts à l’aide d’une extrudeuse bi-vis a été étudiée ainsi que l’ajout de lignine exogène. Tous les panneaux mis en oeuvre possèdent une tenue suffisante pour être manipulés à la main. Le panneau ayant obtenu les propriétés optimales a été obtenu à partir des anas extrudés et sans ajout supplémentaire de lignine. Au regard de ses caractéristiques et du standard NF EN 312, ce dernier remplit complètement les critères d’un panneau aggloméré de type P1 (panneau d’usage général utilisé en milieu sec).

In order to understand the causes and the formation process of the tow sliding defect, shape preforming tests were performed on a hemispherical punch. Variable orientation and blank holders’ pressure were investigated in order to assess the phenomena and a cohesion pull-out test was proposed to investigate the cohesion of the reinforcement which was determined in a previously developed analytical model to be of utmost importance.

International audience; Fibrous reinforcements for structural composites manufacturing need to undergo in certain cases a complex shape forming process during which multiple defects could appear. These defects, such as tow buckling and tow sliding may reduce the integrity of the final part. The onset of these defects depends on the initial loading conditions, the shape of the preform and the characteristics of the textile material. While mechanisms behind the formation and development of both defects are yet to be fully understood. We focused, in this work, on investigating the buckling defect. In order to do so, we used optical field measurement techniques to monitor the kinematics of the defect appearance and predict it via an adapted analytical model of the defect appearance.

During the manufacturing of composite complex shape parts, defects such as tow buckles characterised by out of plane elevation may appear. The parameters controlling the appearance and growth of the defect are not completely understood and need to be investigated. A device capable of reproducing tow buckles has been used to study the tow buckling phenomenon. Several techniques able to measure out of plane elevations are discussed to detect the appearance and evaluate continuously the growth of the tow buckle in relation to its size and shape. The fringe projection technique was chosen as it gives the best compromise between the size of the defect to measure and its resolution. If the in-plane bending angle is the main criterion at the origin of the tow buckle appearance and growth, it is not the only one. This work shows that the fabric architecture such as the space between the tows perpendicular to the one showing the buckle is also crucial to control the buckle’s appearance and growth. It also shows that the differential bi-axial loading of the fabric as well as the stiffness of the tows in the three main directions greatly in fluences the appearance of the defect.

Flax-PP based thermally bonded roving (TBR) has a unique structure where the flax fibres remain twist-free and fully aligned along the roving axis. The present study describes an experimental investigation on the low velocity impact (LVI) behaviour of the TBR based woven fabric composites and compares the same with plain woven glass fabric reinforced PP composites (GRPC). Two different fabric architectures namely plain woven (PW) and unidirectional (UD) are fabricated using flax/PP based TBR. These TBR based woven fabrics and the glass fabric/PP sheets are consolidated in a compression moulding machine and the resultant composite-laminates are tested for their LVI behaviour. The impact test results revealed that the glass/PP composites absorb more energy and exhibit a higher peak load than both TBR based PW and UD fabric composites. However, the specific load and energy of all flax/PP composites are higher than the glass/PP composite. The damage tolerance of all composite laminates are evaluated by comparing their flexural strength before and after the impact. It is observed that the proportionate loss in flexural strength due to impact thrust is larger in case of glass/PP composites than all flax-PP composites.

International audience; This work assesses the potential of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) growing on trace element contaminated soils to produce fibres for material applications. The nettles studied in this work grew spontaneously and dominated the vegetation cover in poplar short rotation coppices planted for the phytomanagement of lands contaminated by trace elements. Two sites were studied, contaminated by Hg for the first one and a mix of As, Cd, Pb and Zn for the second one. Results show that, for the considered soils, the contaminant contents in nettle bast fibres were at low levels, comparable to those collected at unpolluted control areas. It makes it possible to consider this biomass for material use. The measured matter yield was lower than those obtained with traditional fibre crops cultivated in Europe on agricultural lands. However, the tensile properties of the bast fibres mechanically extracted without field retting or prior alkaline treatment were equal to or better than those of industrial hemp and flax, making spontaneous nettles an interesting supplement to traditional European fibre crops for material applications.

International audience; The use of natural fibre reinforced composites such as flax fibre / polypropylene is in a constant expansion particularly inautomotive and marine industries due to their good mechanical properties, low density and thus, lightness, low environmentalimpact, low cost, recyclability, renewable properties of flax fibres and a minimum energy intake during their process. One of themajor challenges of thermoplastic composites for the automotive industry is to manufacture finished parts in a single processingstep within a minimum amount of time. For this purpose, a stamping airflow device was specifically developed. It is designed toproduce woven comingled composite parts from comingled woven fabrics such as flax/polypropylene in only 200 s. Firstly,preliminary tests and the optimization of processing parameters were performed. Then, a quasi-static mechanical characterization of the formed parts was realized. By using criteria based on mechanical properties, the optimal process parameters such as the level of pressure, temperature, holding time and cooling rate so that to obtain the lowest voids rate were determined. Finally, a comparison of the mechanical properties of parts obtained from using the new manufacturing process and a conventional thermocompression process is presented to demonstrate the interest and the level of performance achieved by this original and fast manufacturing device.

Short flax fibers, a by-product of the flax textile industry, are available in large quantities and may be considered to produce geotextiles aimed to stabilize soils. These natural fibers are particularly interesting for this kind of application because of their attractive mechanical properties and biodegradability. To improve the resistance of flax fiber-based geotextiles against natural soil degradation in order to increase their service life, different chitosan treatments were applied. Flax yarns were submitted to degradation protocols, mimicking soil biodegradation, using Aspergillus niger cellulase or Cellvibrio bacteria. It was demonstrated that low-molecular-weight chitosan acts as a physical protection preventing the degradation of amorphous and crystalline cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. Moreover, this work shows that impregnation of flax fibers by chitosan inhibits soil cellulolytic bacteria cell growth. Thus, this article demonstrates the ability of chitosan to protect flax fibers against soil biodegradation.

The main objective of this collaborative work is to characterize the influence of the processing stages of industrial hemp on the fibre properties. Transformation processes well suited for composite reinforcing textiles are considered. The work focuses on the different stages along the transformation chain of hemp, from the straw retting to the preform manufacturing. The main highlight is the predominant influence of retting on the tensile properties of individual fibres after their mechanical extraction from the stalks. Regarding the secondary processing, different technologies such as spinning, and use of natural binder systems are also proposed to produce yarns and woven fabrics. The effect on these secondary processing technologies and their parameters on the fibre properties are also characterised. The results show that the first steps of processing (retting and decortication) have the greatest impact on the tensile strength of hemp fibres.

International audience; During the complex shape forming of composite fibrous reinforcement, the planar bending of roving tows results in an out-of-plane deflection, along with a rotation on its central axis. The need to accurately follow and quantify the mechanism of formation of such defect has led us to consider two 3D imaging techniques, of which, have been tested and compared in this work.

International audience; This work proposes to analyse the different aspects that should be taken into account from the fibre extraction from plants to the forming process to achieve correct part forming. The study will focus in a first extent on the impact of the textile operations leading to the yarn manufacturing. The properties of the flax fabric will then be associated to its behaviour during experimental forming and related to the possible appearence of defects such as tow buckling and solutions to prevent its appearance is widely discussed.

Colloque avec actes et comité de lecture. Internationale.; International audience; The composite manufacturing process occupies a more prominent place in the aerospace and automotive industries due to the lightweight and high performance of the fibre reinforced polymers. The first step in this manufacturing process consists in forming a flat textile reinforcing structure into a designed (tailored) form. The woven textile preform is widely used in the composite manufacturing for its good draping and flexibility properties. The quality of the final woven composite part depends on the fibre distribution and orientation. It also depends on the absence or presence of forming defects. The reasons of occurrence of defects are related to tool geometry, process parameters, textile characteristics, relative plies orientation, inter-ply friction and fabric-tools interaction. Loss of cohesion in the woven fibre network (intra-ply yarn sliding) is a frequent defect in the forming process and it is expected when the cohesion between the yarns is weak or when the blank holder pressure is high. However, the mechanism of formation of this defect is not fully understood. In the present study, forming experiments with friction-based holder have been conducted for one layer 2x2 twill woven carbon fabric (HexForce 48600 C 1300) in three fabric orientations and also for two plies of this fabric with different relative plies orientation. The occurrence of the intra-ply yarns sliding has been observed in the different configurations and as a function of the blank holder pressure. A correlation between the occurrence of this defect and the fabric orientation has been observed. Otherwise, the effect of the fabric orientation, number of plies, relative plies orientation and blank holder pressure on the recorded forming force and on the fabric in-plane shear is also reported and analysed. That permits to better understand the multilayer woven fabric behaviour during forming and this leads to a better understanding of the loss of cohesion defect within the woven fibre network (intra-ply yarn sliding). The mechanisms associated to the appearance of this defect and their dependency on the process parameters and the textile preform characteristics will be discussed and presented in this work.

International audience; This study focuses on the mechanical recycling technique applied to fibre reinforced thermoplastics. The material studied are production scrap and off-cuts of bi-directional woven glass reinforced polypropylene pre-consolidated laminates. The traditional mechanical recycling technique involves a shredding step, giving coarse grains, followed by a grinding step, giving a finer material which is afterwards used as reinforcement in thermoplastic injection processes. However, from those two steps, degradation issues related to the reinforcement effective length limiting the reused material to low-end applications are encountered. The concept under study in this research work consists in by-passing the grinding step and to keep only a shredding or cutting step so as to limit the degradation of the initial material potential and keep a substantial reinforcement length. The obtained grains/aggregates are then directly reprocessed in bulk form by compression moulding. This preliminary study showed that the modulus of the recycled composite demonstrated values close to the equivalent quasi-isotropic continuous fibre laminate of the same composition.

International audience; Cultivated primarily for its seeds, oleaginous flax could also be valued for the different fractions that can be extracted from the straw. However, as the straws are not harvested with the same technique and care than for the textile flax, the classical scutching technique cannot be used. As a consequence, an “all fibre” device was used to perform the separation of the different constituents of the oleaginous flax straws. The different fractions were quantified for two retting levels and for two degrees of rewetting of the stems. The physical and mechanical properties of fibres were then evaluated. It appears that the relative amount of fibres extracted from oleaginous flax straw is comparable to the one from textile flax (i.e. 40% of the stem dry mass), and their tensile properties are situated in the lower part of the textile flax range. This work shows that the individual fibre length of oleaginous flax (between 3 and 6 cm) is comparable to that of the scutched textile flax fibres. This makes them suitable for the production of carded aligned fibre yarns for technical reinforcement textiles (e.g. composites or geotextiles). These results demonstrate the interest and the potential added value of harvesting the stems for technical fibre applications.

International audience; Geotextiles are widely used to stabilize river banks from erosion when these ones are restored into vegetal covered areas as mentioned by European regulations. For these applications imported coir (coconut shell fibres) based geotextiles are generally used because coir fibres show a good resistance to soil degradation. In Europe, flax and hemp plants are already grown for textile, building or oil applications. By-products of these industries such as flax tows and short hemp fibres were used to manufacture yarns. The resistance to degradation via the measurement of the mechanical properties of these yarns submitted to enzymatic (cellulase) and microbial attacks (Cellvibrio gandavensis) mimicking soil degradation was evaluated. Large decreases in mechanical properties were observed, even though these ones were still higher than the as received reference coir material. After impregnation by chitosan of the fibres, the tensile properties of the yarns globally remained unchanged after severe attacks. The chitosan acts as a protection against the soil microorganism attacks. As a consequence, flax and hemp by-products could be good candidates for local manufacturing of biodegradable geotextiles.