Investigation of the possible origins of the differences in mechanical properties of hemp and flax fibres: A numerical study based on sensitivity analysis

Despite the great similarities in the physical and chemical properties of flax and primary hemp fibres, literature generally reports differences in their average tensile properties. This work proposes a numerical investigation of the relationships between the morphological, biochemical and cell wall features, along with their variability, and the mechanical properties of flax and hemp fibres. A previously developed 3D micromechanical model of plant fibre is used to carry out a sensitivity analysis. Results show that the difference observed in the average tensile properties of flax and hemp fibres is partly due to the differences in scattering of some their morphological and ultrastructural properties. Despite a similar mean value, the reduced variability in the flax fibre features, seems to lead to higher average tensile properties.