Improving the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of flax fiber reinforced composite through fiber modification and layered structure

The development of plant fiber reinforced composites was hindered due to sensitivity of plant fibers to humidity and the weak bond between plant fibers and polymer matrix materials. A method to prepare composite with excellent super-hydrophobicity, interfacial adhesion and mechanical property was proposed. The results demonstrate that the water contact angle on the surface of flax fiber is as high as 157 degrees, degrees , which is conducive to the interfacial adhesion between fiber and resin. In addition, the saturated water absorption and diffusion coefficient of the prepared composites are lower than that of orthogonal laminates (PURE) composite. The short beam shear test results show that the interface failure mode of composites has changed from the traditional fiber pull-out mode to crack of matrix. Especially, the composite prepared exhibits excellent impact resistance, and its layered structure alters both the propagation direction and range of cracks.