Motorsport Composite Fundamentals: Flax & Natural Fibers
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Flax & Natural Fibers
03.14
| 00:00 | Natural fibres are becoming increasingly popular as a replacement for synthetic fibres like carbon and kevlar due to the environmental and sustainability concerns, but they also offer some advantages, all while having relatively comparable specific properties. |
| 00:16 | To be clear, by specific properties I mean a property per unit mass, for example how strong it is for a given mass. |
| 00:25 | For motorsport use, flax fibres are the go-to for natural fibres and are quickly becoming more widely used, even at the highest levels. |
| 00:34 | Flax fibre most commonly comes from the stem of the flax or linseed plant, which through a series of processes ends up being spun into roving. |
| 00:43 | From here it can be made into non-woven mats, unidirectional and woven fabrics, as well as prepreg materials. |
| 00:50 | Woven flax fabrics are nothing new, in fact they're the oldest known textile, but their adoption and use in composites, especially in high performance applications, is fairly recent. |
| 01:01 | However, due to their low density, they tend to require much more resin, which in turn means the thickness of the composite will be greater for the same weight, compared to carbon fibre or fibreglass. |
| 01:13 | We'll cover the considerations around this later in the course, but skipping ahead quickly, this means they're more suited to vacuum resin infusion, rather than a more basic wet layup. |
| 01:24 | Something else to consider with natural fibres like flax, is the moisture content. |
| 01:29 | They can be dried out, but if not done sufficiently, this water content can significantly reduce the mechanical properties and react with the resin matrix, causing issues during construction. |
| 01:41 | Compared to other natural fibres, flax offers great mechanical performance from high tensile strength. |
| 01:46 | Unfortunately though, this isn't the magic answer to all our problems in the form of a sustainable and environmentally friendly material. |
| 01:55 | Fibreglass is about four times stronger for the same weight, and carbon fibre significantly stronger again. |
| 02:01 | The stiffness of the composites also follows a similar relationship. |
| 02:05 | This doesn't mean it's not suitable for use of any of our parts on a race car though, as its low density means it's still a very lightweight option that can provide adequate strength for certain applications. |
| 02:18 | Flax fibre composites have been used with success in body panels, seat structures, interior panels and air intakes. |
| 02:25 | Further to this, its natural appearance is often seen as a positive trait, although this is always a matter of personal preference. |
| 02:32 | To recap the key points here, flax composites use reinforcing fibres from the stems of flax or linseed plants, and these are available in formats like non-woven mats, unidirectional and woven fabrics, as well as prepregs. |
| 02:45 | It's typical to use significantly more resin however, due to the density, and it's important to consider the moisture content of the natural fibres to ensure they're dried out well before construction of the composite. |
| 02:57 | Although it's not yet as valuable as the likes of carbon fibre, mostly due to the lower strength for the same weight, it will most certainly be used more in the future with further pushes for more sustainable and environmentally conscious alternatives. |
