Physical and mechanical properties of bamboo/flax fibre reinforced epoxy composite water absorption behaviour and high-temperature conditions

Abstract

This paper focuses on the impact of humidity on the physical and mechanical behaviour of the bamboo/flax hybrid fibre-reinforced epoxy matrix composite. Composites made using bamboo fibre, and flax fibre-reinforced epoxy resin is immersed in water at room temperature (25°C) for 60 days and at 85°C for 2 days. The composite undergoes structural and microstructural changes at high temperatures (85°C) in 25 h. At both temperatures, composites that were not treated and treated had the decreased swelling behaviour, with 9% of composites treated with NaOH showing the highest level of swelling. Water absorption in the biocomposite is increasingly influenced by the poor bond between the fibres and the matrix. The results show that the maximum tensile strength for both conditions has an increase of about 2% at room temperature and a 13.6% reduction at 85°C compared with room temperature immersion.