Modeling elastic properties of short flax fiber-reinforced composites by orientation averaging

Natural fibers of plant origin, used as reinforcement in polymer matrix composite materials, exhibit highly anisotropic elastic properties due to their complex internal structure. Mechanical properties can be evaluated not only by tests but also by mechanical models reflecting the principal morphological features of fibers. Such a FEM model is applied to estimate the elastic properties of a unit cell of a short-fiber-reinforced composite, an elementary flax fiber embedded in a polymer matrix. Orientation averaging approach is used for prediction of the stiffness of short flax fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite. The numerical estimates of Young's modulus are compared to the test results of extruded flax/polypropylene composite.