Fatigue behaviour assessment of flax-epoxy composites

The present study focuses on the characterisation and evaluation of the fatigue behaviour of flax-epoxy composites. A better understanding of this behaviour allows the prediction of long-term properties to assess the viability and long-term durability of these materials. The purpose of this work is to systematically compare the tension-tension fatigue behaviour of flax fibre composites for one random mat, six textile architectures and two laminate configurations, which are used in a wide range of applications. The fibre architecture was found to have a strong effect on the fatigue behaviour, where higher static strength and modulus combinations present the best fatigue characteristics. They have a delayed damage initiation and increased fatigue life as well as a reduced damage propagation rate combined with higher energy dissipation in the early stages of fatigue loading.