Fatigue behaviour assessment of flax–epoxy composites

The present study focuses on the characterisation and evaluation of the fatigue behaviour of flax–epoxy composites. A better understanding of this behaviour allows the prediction of long-term properties to assess the viability and long-term durability of these materials. The purpose of this work is to systematically compare the tension–tension fatigue behaviour of flax fibre composites for one random mat, six textile architectures and two laminate configurations, which are used in a wide range of applications. The fibre architecture was found to have a strong effect on the fatigue behaviour, where higher static strength and modulus combinations present the best fatigue characteristics. They have a delayed damage initiation and increased fatigue life as well as a reduced damage propagation rate combined with higher energy dissipation in the early stages of fatigue loading.