The CKN Knowledge in Practice Centre is in the early stages of content creation and currently focuses on the theme of thermal management.
We appreciate any feedback or content suggestions/requests using the links below

Content requests General feedback Feedback on this page

Reference - Effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties of hemp fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites

From CKN Knowledge in Practice Centre
Type Journal
Title Effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties of hemp fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites
Abstract Hemp fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites (HFRUPE) were subjected to water immersion tests in order to study the effects of water absorption on the mechanical properties. HFRUPE composites specimens containing 0, 0.10, 0.15, 0.21 and 0.26 fibre volume fraction were prepared. Water absorption tests were conducted by immersing specimens in a de-ionised water bath at 25 °C and 100 °C for different time durations. The tensile and flexural properties of water immersed specimens subjected to both aging conditions were evaluated and compared alongside dry composite specimens. The percentage of moisture uptake increased as the fibre volume fraction increased due to the high cellulose content. The tensile and flexural properties of HFRUPE specimens were found to decrease with increase in percentage moisture uptake. Moisture induced degradation of composite samples was significant at elevated temperature. The water absorption pattern of these composites at room temperature was found to follow Fickian behaviour, whereas at elevated temperatures it exhibited non-Fickian. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
  • Dhakal, H. N.
  • Zhang, Z. Y.
  • Richardson, M. O.W.
Date 2007
Issue 7-8
Pages 1674-1683
Journal Composites Science and Technology
Volume 67
DOI 10.1016/j.compscitech.2006.06.019
ISSN 02663538
Keywords A. Polymer-matrix composites, B. Mechanical properties, D. Mechanical testing, Natural fibre
Cite
To cite this Reference:
  1. Edit any page with the VisualEditor.
  2. Position the cursor where the citation is needed.
  3. On the VE toolbar, click "Insert", then "Template".
  4. In the dialog form field, enter "Ref".
  5. Click "Add template".
  6. In the "Reference Page name" field, enter "85ce475e-6090-37b4-9fcf-fa4ea6024849".
  7. (optional) Add a page number or range by clicking "Add more information".
  8. Click "Insert".
CKN KPC logo

Welcome

Welcome to the CKN Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC). The KPC is a resource for learning and applying scientific knowledge to the practice of composites manufacturing. As you navigate around the KPC, refer back to the information on this right-hand pane as a resource for understanding the intricacies of composites processing and why the KPC is laid out in the way that it is. The following video explains the KPC approach:

Understanding Composites Processing

The Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC) is centered around a structured method of thinking about composite material manufacturing. From the top down, the heirarchy consists of:

The way that the material, shape, tooling & consumables and equipment (abbreviated as MSTE) interact with each other during a process step is critical to the outcome of the manufacturing step, and ultimately critical to the quality of the finished part. The interactions between MSTE during a process step can be numerous and complex, but the Knowledge in Practice Centre aims to make you aware of these interactions, understand how one parameter affects another, and understand how to analyze the problem using a systems based approach. Using this approach, the factory can then be developed with a complete understanding and control of all interactions.

The relationship between material, shape, tooling & consumables and equipment during a process step


Interrelationship of Function, Shape, Material & Process

Design for manufacturing is critical to ensuring the producibility of a part. Trouble arises when it is considered too late or not at all in the design process. Conversely, process design (controlling the interactions between shape, material, tooling & consumables and equipment to achieve a desired outcome) must always consider the shape and material of the part. Ashby has developed and popularized the approach linking design (function) to the choice of material and shape, which influence the process selected and vice versa, as shown below:

The relationship between function, material, shape and process


Within the Knowledge in Practice Centre the same methodology is applied but the process is more fully defined by also explicitly calling out the equipment and tooling & consumables. Note that in common usage, a process which consists of many steps can be arbitrarily defined by just one step, e.g. "spray-up". Though convenient, this can be misleading.

The relationship between function, material, shape and process consisting of Equipment and Tooling and consumables


Workflows

The KPC's Practice and Case Study volumes consist of three types of workflows:

  • Development - Analyzing the interactions between MSTE in the process steps to make decisions on processing parameters and understanding how the process steps and factory cells fit within the factory.
  • Troubleshooting - Guiding you to possible causes of processing issues affecting either cost, rate or quality and directing you to the most appropriate development workflow to improve the process
  • Optimization - An expansion on the development workflows where a larger number of options are considered to achieve the best mixture of cost, rate & quality for your application.