Advanced three-dimensional textile technique for fabrication of sisal/flax hybrid fiber green biocomposite with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and sound isolation properties

Abstract

Natural fibers are regarded as ideal reinforcements for fiber-reinforced composites due to their high specific strength and biodegradability. In this study, three-dimensional orthogonal woven sisal/flax yarn hybrid bio-based epoxy resin composites (3DOWSBCs) were firstly employing a novel three-dimensional orthogonal weaving technique, and their mechanical properties were experimentally examined, and compared with those of traditional lamination composites. Secondly, a finite element model (FEM) was constructed to predict and analyze the shear behaviors of 3DOWSBCs in order to elucidate the strengthening mechanisms of Z-yarns. Additionally, the thermal and acoustic properties also discussed. The results suggested that the flexural strength and shear strength of 3DOWSBCs (141.15 MPa, 22.80 MPa) were 37.9 % and 86.9 % higher than the laminates, respectively. The FEM results demonstrated a strong correlation with the experimental data and revealed that the impact of Z-yarns on the mechanical properties in out-of-plane direction was more significant than that in in-plane direction. Furthermore, 3DOWSBCs had low thermal conductivity (0.29 W/m·K) and high sound transmission loss (63 dB). The environmentally friendly and excellent-performance 3DOWSBCs are a promising semi-structural industrial composites with great potential to alleviate energy consumption and promote sustainable industry development.