Mode-I fracture toughness of flax/epoxy composites: A comparative study of autoclave and oven curing techniques
Humberto Almeida Jr, Andraž Maček, Miroslav Halilovič
Abstract. This study evaluates the Mode-I interlaminar fracture toughness of flax fibre-reinforced epoxy composites fabricated using two distinct curing methods: autoclave and vacuum-assisted oven curing. Double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were employed to assess fracture behaviour, complemented by digital image correlation (DIC). Results indicated that oven-cured laminates were 17% thicker than their autoclave-cured counterparts, a difference attributed to the higher consolidation pressure in autoclave curing, which enhances resin flow and reduces void content, leading to thinner laminates. While both curing methods yielded comparable absolute fracture toughness and strain energy release rates, the oven-cured samples exhibited higher bending stiffness, suggesting that the curing technique significantly influences the mechanical properties of flax/epoxy composites.
Keywords
Natural Fibres, Fracture Toughness, Manufacturing
Published online 5/7/2025, 8 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Humberto Almeida Jr, Andraž Maček, Miroslav Halilovič, Mode-I fracture toughness of flax/epoxy composites: A comparative study of autoclave and oven curing techniques, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 54, pp 2566-2568, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903599-277
The article was published as article 277 of the book Material Forming
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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