Determination of J–R curves of thermoplastic starch composites containing crossed quasi-unidirectional flax fiber reinforcement

Thermoplastic starch (MaterBi) composites reinforced with quasi-unidirectional flax fiber in cross-ply (CP) arrangement were produced by film stacking followed by hot pressing. These composites, containing various amount of flax, failed ductilely with pronounced crack growth. Therefore, to determine their fracture mechanical behaviour the J-integral resistance curve concept (J–R) was applied. As the crack growth could not be traced, attempt was made to use the located acoustic emission (AE) events for that purpose. It was established that weighting and smoothing the located cumulative AE amplitudes the crack path can be correctly reconstructed. This was proved by collating the AE results with those derived from infrared thermographic (IT) inspection. Knowing the crack propagation at each point of the force–displacement curves the J–R curves could be determined. Both critical or initiation J-integral and tearing modulus went through a minimum with increase of flax content in the composites.