JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #97 - Special JEC Americas - May/June 2015 - 36

natural fibres

Fig. 5: Flax and hemp parts in automotive

lighter than reinforcements made using standard fibres; also, their high elastic modulus
and the microstructural morphology of the
hollow flax and hemp fibres enable them
to absorb vibrations without degrading the
mechanical properties of the reinforcement.
This hollow feature also helps damp noise,
providing more acoustic comfort. The
automotive parts currently being produced
or developed are hidden interior parts like
door panels, seat back shells, rear window
shelves, dashboards, and soundproofing
under dash panels, but also structural parts
like floors, under-hood parts, battery vent
plugs, central/lateral ventilation flaps, and
rear-view mirror mounting plates. The
innovative aspect of these parts is based on a
triple imperative, in particular for thermoplastics: optimized recyclability and low
weight, plus processability for the composite
within cycle times and a material cost range
that are compatible with automotive mass
production constraints.
Fig. 4: Kitten Factory ski - Decathlon tennis
racket - Schwinn Vestiges bike

Aerospace
For things like ceilings, floors, bulkheads,
side partitions, storage bins, and cable trays,
composite materials have unquestionably
helped to optimize weight. Here, flax and

hemp are gaining
a position, thanks
to their even lower
weight. However,
a prerequisite for
the use of these
materials is a high
degree of inherent
fire resistance, and
more specifically
resistance to flame
propagation.
Preforms made
with 100% flax
reinforcement
have just passed the validation tests for this
low-combustibility standard, according to
criteria that are adequate for applications
like business aviation and helicopters for
under twenty passengers. There is also a
new generation of on-board trolleys on the
market. These are lighter and more impact
resistant, due to an innovative outer-panel
sandwich material with flax/basalt skins.
The sandwich weighs 25% less, thanks to the
integration of the natural flax fibres, and its
production cycle is significantly shorter than
for the older-generation materials. So this is
a composite with advantages over and above
its biosourced characteristics.
There are many prospects for these
innovative composites. Their vibrationdamping and low-weight properties should
enable them to reach a level of mechanical
and acoustic performance close to that
of aramid. And given that this range of
performance fulfils aerospace requirements,
it will inevitably lead to developments in
other sectors that require less exhaustive test
performance. n
More information:
www.europeanflax.com
JEC Americas booth 1626

Flax and Hemp Fibres: a natural solution For tHe composite industry
The mechanical performance of flax and hemp fibres was tested,
analyzed and reported on in a 2012 reference work by the CELC in
coordination with its European Scientific Committee (co-published
with JEC Group). The work was updated in 2014.

Fig. 6: Plane interior parts

36 jec composites magazine / No97 May - June 2015

Edition 2012: 210 pages, 80,57€ VAT excl.
Updated in 2014: 40 pages, 11,34€ VAT excl.
Edited by JEC Composites and CELC.
More information on www.jeccomposites.com

http://www.europeanflax.com/ http://www.jeccomposites.com/product/flax-and-hemp-fibres-natural-solution-composite-industry?type=70&type_old=71

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #97 - Special JEC Americas - May/June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #97 - Special JEC Americas - May/June 2015