Mechanical Response of Flax Rovings under Compaction: Experimental Investigation

Abstract:

This study investigates the compaction behavior of woven flax rovings, a crucial aspect of the preforming stage in composite manufacturing. It focuses specifically on the challenges posed by their inherent heterogeneity and structural variability. Although the durability of flax-based composites is widely recognized, accurate numerical modeling of their processing, particularly for liquid composite molding (LCM), remains limited by the lack of detailed experimental data on roving mechanical behavior, including data capturing the inherent variability of the material. This research used a combined experimental approach, comprising computational microscopy for microscale deformation analysis and macroscopic compression tests, to characterize the mechanical response of flax rovings under compaction. Results highlight the need to develop sophisticated simulation frameworks that account for statistical variations in material properties but also the specificities of the flax roving response, which differs considerably from that of synthetic fibers rovings. The experimental dataset generated provides a valuable basis for identifying material parameters and validating advanced simulation frameworks aimed at improving performance predictions of manufactured components.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 387)
• Pages: 153-162
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-W4LGjL
• Online since: April 2026
• Authors: Samir Zidi*, Tiffany Larquemin, Audrey Hivet, Gilles Hivet, Davy Duriatti
• Keywords: Compaction Behavior, Experimental Investigation, Flax Rovings, Mechanical Response, Mesoscopic Scale

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