Mechanical properties of flax fibres treated by alkaline,enzyme and steam-heat

In recent years there has been interest in using flax fibres to produce composites because of a number of attributes, including low density, biodegradability and high mechanical properties. It was found that treatment of flax fibres may be required to improve the bond quality with a resin. These treatments also have an impact on the properties of the fibres themselves. The objective of this project was to evaluate the impact of three treatment methods on the mechanical properties of flax fibres. The three treatment methods were alkaline, enzyme and steam-heat. After treatment, flax fibres were tested in tension using a universal test machine. Results showed that tensile strength and Young's modulus of flax fibre can be enhanced significantly by the three treatment methods, compared with untreated flax fibres. Enzyme treatment was shown to be the best approach to improve mechanical properties of flax fibre than alkaline and steam-heat treatment.