Flax Fibre Yarn Coated with Lignin from Renewable Sources for Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Biocomposites

Background:

• Lignin, a renewable resource, is explored as a matrix material for bio-based composites.
• Natural fibers like flax offer low density, contributing to lightweight product development.
• Hybrid semi-finished products can be produced by coating natural fiber yarns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze lignin's potential as a matrix for renewable resource-based composite components.
• To investigate the production of hybrid semi-finished products via lignin coating of flax yarns.
• To characterize lignin-coated flax yarns and evaluate the properties of resulting bio-based composites.

Main Methods:

• Extrusion process adapted for lignin as a matrix material and for coating flax yarns.
• Characterization of selected properties of the lignin-coated flax yarn.
• Fabrication of bidirectional composite plates using lignin-coated flax yarn as warp and uncoated flax yarn as weft.
• Determination of tensile and flexural properties of the bio-based composite material.

Main Results:

• Lignin can be successfully used as a matrix material for bio-based natural fiber composites.
• Coating natural fiber yarns with lignin is a viable alternative to producing spun hybrid yarns.
• Significant differences in mechanical properties were observed between the warp and weft directions of the composite plates.

Conclusions:

• Lignin serves as a promising matrix for developing lightweight, bio-based composite materials.
• Lignin-coated flax yarns offer a novel approach for creating advanced natural fiber composites.
• The study demonstrates the feasibility of using extrusion for lignin-based composite fabrication and yarn modification.