Effects of thermo mechanical processing on the mechanical properties of biocomposite flax fibers evaluated by nanoindentation

Knowledge of the mechanical properties of biocomposite components, especially cell walls, is of great interest for understanding reinforcement mechanisms. The aim of this work was to study nano-mechanical properties of flax fibres after a transformation cycle, such as injection moulding or film stacking. The mechanical and thermal behaviour of flax fibres were first studied by using TGA measurements and nanoindentation. Then, to better understand the influence of the process, a morphology study, nanoindentation and TGA experiments were carried out on flax fibres after a process cycle. The importance of water content and shear rate on the mechanical properties of the flax fibres has been shown.