What are the key parameters to produce a high-grade bio-based composite? Application to flax/epoxy UD laminates produced by thermocompression

The development of composites based on vegetal fibers requires a good control of manufacturing process. The aim of this work is to determine the key parameters to produce high grade flax/epoxy unidirectional laminated composite by thermocompression. So, many processing parameters have been tested and ranked according to their influence on mechanical properties. Since variability can be high for this kind of materials, statistical analyses have been used to determine if properties variations were significant or not. Among all studied parameters, the three which have been identified as first rank influence on mechanical properties are: fibers conditioning, curing pressure and exit plate temperature.