Influence of fibre orientation and volume fraction on the tensile properties of unidirectional Alfa-polyester composite

New structural composite material reinforced with unidirectional natural fibers is prepared and tested. The used reinforcement is made of long Alfa fibers, extracted from the stem of the Alfa plant by the soda process. The used matrix is based on unsaturated polyester resin. Experiments show that the specific tensile properties of these fibers are very interesting and are close to those obtained on some man-made fibers. Composite plates were prepared using unidirectional Alfa cloths, from which specimens are cut for mechanical experiments. The influence of fibers orientation and fibers fraction on the mechanical properties of the Alfa/Polyester composites have been evaluated. It has been observed that it is possible to get with these fibers strong and stiff composites materials useful for many structural applications such as sport articles and automotive parts. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.