Mechanical properties of composites reinforced by flax Godfrey Bwire
1
Mechanical properties of composites reinforced by flax Godfrey Bwire Supervisor: Dr E Sazhina Division of Engineering and Product Design, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics Motivation A review on the environmental benefits of flax composites and the exploration of the challenges in flax processing and its applications has shown the growing importance of renewable materials. Natural fibres are sustainable, cheap, and renewable. The use of flax fibers and its by products such as flax chaff and flax dust for construction is underdeveloped when compared with hemp - based materials such as Hemcrete. 1. EU INTERREG project FLAX Technical meeting at the university of Brighton, UK, 20 th January 2011 The attendance of the conference by the author has been sponsored by INTERREG project FLAX of PABS, UoB. This has allowed to get first-hand information on current knowledge and applications of natural fibres. The Conference gave the motivation for the formulation of the research topic with applications for construction industry. Opportunities in Flax industry are outlined by the INTERREG FLAX partners from flax factory in Northern France. Flax processing produces by-products, such as flax chaff and flax dust. Flax chaff can be used for cattle and it commands prices of 0.3Euro per kg. Flax dust is a waste product with zero cost. Hence the focus of flax dust 2. Mud bricks for small-scale construction in Africa Mr O Abolade (MSc project, University of Brighton, 2010) has outlined the environmental and structural benefits of mud bricks for construction industry This focused the research on increasing toughness of mud bricks and their blast resistance. Aim and Objectives The aim of the project is to • To explore mechanical properties of clay composites reinforced by flax waste products (flax dust) •To review the environmental benefits of challenges in flax processing and applications •To assess the environmental and structural benefits and potential for industry implementation of the new composites Focus of the project The project focuses on new composite material (Claflax TM ) designed by adding flax dust into clay matrix Potential use in blast resistant structures is explored by Charpy testing of flax composites under dynamic loading Conclusion The main novelty of the research is addressed in impact testing of the Claflax TM which has shown a significant increase in the impact energy, Hence increase in blast resistance. Discussion Flax has the environmental benefits as renewable and degradable material. Flax dust is a waste product at zero cost; its valorisation is the focus of the project. The new composite Claflax TM has higher toughness than pure clay which gives it a good advantage in the construction industry . Claflax TM has shown a higher standard deviation in comparison with pure clay. This can be attributed to uneven samples’ sizes under new methodololgy. On the other hand the standard deviation is the same as by more precise (but cumbersome) method by previous researcher, Miss C Sorensen, 2010 Results by C.Sorensen, 2010 agree with the new results: Acknowledgements : Many thanks to my examiner Dr C Knight for constructive feedback. My supervisor Dr. Elena Sazhina, and technical staff at the University of Brighton, Mr Tony Brown and Mr Shawn Maunula, are thanked for ongoing support. Dissemination of the research: • Attendance of the INTERREG FLAX project workshop on Flax material on 20 th January 2011 Recommendations for future research: •Detailed investigation of the effect of the flax dust content on the impact strength of Claflax TM •Effect of water content on Claflax TM The experimental setup: Charpy rig and prepared clay samples. Testing under dynamic loading under Charpy test is important for applications under seismic conditions and blast resistance Results of the experiment: The impact energy of clay reinforced by flax dust has been found to be higher than that of the conventional clay from the same batch. The new material is named Claflax. Analysis: This is because inclusion of flax dust makes it a particle –reinforced composite. Maximal content of flax dust by weight is established as 3.6% Impact Energy in Joules: Average Dev Limits: •Impact Energy of clay with flax dust = 0.7 0.9 - 0.5 • Impact Energy of clay without flax dust = 0.38 0.05 0.43 -0.33 0.0% 0.2% 0.4% 0.6% 0.8% 1.0% 1.2% 1.4% 1.6% 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 Impact Energy vs Fibre Content by M Sorensen, 2010 Flax Logarithmic (Flax) Polynomial (Flax) Chaff Content by weight (%) Impact Energy (J) Projectallocation Setting aim s and objectives Proposed B ackground research and literature review Actual D eadline M eeting supervisor Formative assessment 1 U nderstanding m echicalproperties U nderstanding (flax fibers and flax chaff) Analysis ofm aterials (Flax) U nderstanding (clay) C om pression testing ofm ortarcubes w ith and w /o flax.C riticalanalysis ofthe results Selection ofm atrix (clay,m ortar,plaster)and flax product(dustorchaff):C LAFLAX com posite Formative assessment 2 D esigning m ethodology forefficientpreparation ofC harpy test sam ples from clay and flax Assessing lim itations ofC harpy testequipm entand obtaining trialresults C harpy im pact testing oflarge num berofC LAFLAX sam ples vs pure clay sam ples C om pile and evaluate results.Statisticalanalysis ofthe results Assesment Phase 3: Poster E xhibition 27 April assessing the feedback ofthe Exhibition.Furtheranalysis ofthe experim entalw ork D issertation w riting Phase 4, S ubmit Dissertation Preparing forviva Phase 5, Viva-voce preparation W eek no -D ate G anntC hart -26/10/10 -12/10/10 Week5-29/10/10 -05/10/10 -02/11/10 -09/11/10 -16/11/10 -23/11/10 -30/11/10 -07/12/10 -14/12/10 -21/12/10 -28/12/10 -04/01/11 -11/01/11 -19/10/10 W eek 17 -11/02/11 -25/01/11 -01/02/11 -08/02/11 -15/02/11 -22/02/11 -01/03/11 -08/03/11 W eek 25 -27/04/11 -22/03/11 -29/03/11 -26/04/11 -12/04/11 -05/04/11 -19/04/11 -10/05/11 -06/05/11 Week28-20/05/11 0% 2% 4% 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 Impact Energy vs Content Flax Loga rith mic (Fla x) Poly nomi al (Fla x) Content by weight (%) Impact Energy (J)
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Mechanical properties of composites reinforced by flax Godfrey Bwire Supervisor: Dr E Sazhina Division of Engineering and Product Design, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics. Conclusion - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Mechanical properties of composites reinforced by flax Godfrey Bwire
Mechanical properties of composites reinforced by flax Godfrey Bwire Supervisor: Dr E Sazhina Division of Engineering and Product Design, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
MotivationA review on the environmental benefits of flax composites and the exploration of the challenges in flax
processing and its applications has shown the growing importance of renewable materials. Natural fibres
are sustainable, cheap, and renewable. The use of flax fibers and its by products such as flax chaff and flax
dust for construction is underdeveloped when compared with hemp - based materials such as Hemcrete.
1. EU INTERREG project FLAX
Technical meeting at the university of Brighton, UK, 20th January 2011
The attendance of the conference by the author has been sponsored by INTERREG project FLAX of PABS,
UoB. This has allowed to get first-hand information on current knowledge and applications of natural fibres.
The Conference gave the motivation for the formulation of the research topic with applications for
construction industry. Opportunities in Flax industry are outlined by the INTERREG FLAX partners from flax
factory in Northern France. Flax processing produces by-products, such as flax chaff and flax dust. Flax
chaff can be used for cattle and it commands prices of 0.3Euro per kg.
Flax dust is a waste product with zero cost. Hence the focus of flax dust
2. Mud bricks for small-scale construction in Africa Mr O Abolade (MSc project, University of Brighton, 2010) has outlined the
environmental and structural benefits of mud bricks for construction industry
This focused the research on increasing toughness of mud bricks and their blast resistance.
Aim and ObjectivesThe aim of the project is to• To explore mechanical properties of clay composites reinforced by flax waste products (flax dust)
•To review the environmental benefits of challenges in flax processing and applications•To assess the environmental and structural benefits and potential for industry implementation of the new composites
Focus of the projectThe project focuses on new composite material (ClaflaxTM ) designed by adding flax dust into clay
matrix
Potential use in blast resistant structures is explored by Charpy testing of flax composites under
dynamic loading
Conclusion
The main novelty of the research is addressed in impact testing of the ClaflaxTM which
has shown a significant increase in the impact energy, Hence increase in blast
resistance.
Discussion
Flax has the environmental benefits as renewable and degradable material. Flax dust is a
waste product at zero cost; its valorisation is the focus of the project.
The new composite ClaflaxTM has higher toughness than pure clay which gives it a good
advantage in the construction industry .
ClaflaxTM has shown a higher standard deviation in comparison with pure clay. This can
be attributed to uneven samples’ sizes under new methodololgy. On the other hand the
standard deviation is the same as by more precise (but cumbersome) method by previous
researcher, Miss C Sorensen, 2010
Results by C.Sorensen, 2010 agree with the new results:
Acknowledgements : Many thanks to my examiner Dr C Knight for constructive feedback. My supervisor Dr. Elena Sazhina, and technical staff at the University of Brighton, Mr Tony Brown and Mr Shawn Maunula, are thanked for ongoing support.
Dissemination of the research:
• Attendance of the INTERREG FLAX project
workshop on Flax material on 20th January 2011
Recommendations for future research:
•Detailed investigation of the effect of the flax dust
content on the impact strength of ClaflaxTM
•Effect of water content on ClaflaxTM
The experimental setup: Charpy rig and prepared clay samples.
Testing under dynamic loading under Charpy test is important for applications
under seismic conditions and blast resistance
Results of the experiment: The impact energy of clay reinforced by flax dust
has been found to be higher than that of the conventional clay from the same
batch. The new material is named Claflax.
Analysis: This is because inclusion of flax dust makes it a particle –reinforced
composite.
Maximal content of flax dust by weight is established as 3.6%
Impact Energy in Joules: Average St Dev Limits:•Impact Energy of clay with flax dust = 0.7 0.2 0.9 - 0.5 •Impact Energy of clay without flax dust = 0.38 0.05 0.43 -0.33
0.0% 0.2% 0.4% 0.6% 0.8% 1.0% 1.2% 1.4% 1.6%0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Impact Energy vs Fibre Content by M Sorensen, 2010
Flax Logarithmic (Flax) Polynomial (Flax)
Chaff
Content by weight (%)
Impa
ct E
nerg
y (J
)
Project allocation
Setting aims and objectivesProposed
Background research and literature review ActualDeadline
Meeting supervisor
Formative assessment 1
Understanding mechical properties
Understanding (flax fibers and flax chaff )Analysis of materials (Flax)Understanding ( clay)
Compression testing of mortar cubes with and w/o flax. Critical analysis of the results
Selection of matrix (clay, mortar, plaster) and flax product (dust or chaff): CLAFLAX composite
Formative assessment 2
Designing methodology for efficient preparation of Charpy test samples from clay and flax
Assessing limitations of Charpy test equipment and obtaining trial results
Charpy impact testing of large number of CLAFLAX samples vs pure clay samples
Compile and evaluate results. Statistical analysis of the results
Assesment Phase 3: Poster Exhibition 27 April
assessing the feedback of the Exhibition. Further analysis of the experimental work
Dissertation writing
Phase 4, Submit Dissertation
Preparing for viva
Phase 5, Viva-voce preparation
Week no - Date
Gannt Chart
-26/10/10
-12/10/10
Week5-29/10/10
-05/10/10
-02/11/10
-09/11/10
-16/11/10
-23/11/10
-30/11/10
-07/12/10
-14/12/10
-21/12/10
-28/12/10
-04/01/11
-11/01/11
-19/10/10
Week 17 -11/02/11
-25/01/11
-01/02/11
-08/02/11
-15/02/11
-22/02/11
-01/03/11
-08/03/11
Week 25 -27/04/11
-22/03/11
-29/03/11
-26/04/11
-12/04/11
-05/04/11
-19/04/11
-10/05/11
-06/05/11
Week 28-20/05/11
0% 2% 4%0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Impact Energy vs Content
Flax
Log-arithmic (Flax)
Polyno-mial (Flax)
Chaff
Content by weight (%)
Impa
ct E
nerg
y (J
)
