Mechanical Properties of Flax Fiber Based Polymer (with Nano Additives) Matrix Composites

This study has been conducted in order to examine and investigate the use of a natural material. While synthetic fibers are limited with regard to resources needed for their production, natural fibers are always renewable and degradable, and their required life-time and strength are comparable with those of synthetic fibers. In the present study, the application fields of natural fibers, technical properties of natural fibers, types of natural fibers, fiber treatment methods, chemical structures of natural fibers, natural fiber compatible matrix materials, limitations and renewability of natural fibers are analysed. Flax fiber polymer matrix (with nano additives) composites were fabricated using fibers with treated and untreated surface. Composite coupons were tested by tension till failure. Mechanical behaviour of materials with treated and untreated fibers were compared and analysed.

Improving the Flexural Strength Test of Brushite Cement

In the investigation of mechanical properties, calcium phosphate cements exhibit large sample-to-sample deviation due to its porous nature, possibility of un-homogenous distribution and small specimen size. This situation generates difficulties for obtaining accurate results and creates an obstacle for testing different composition where only a small batch size is available. In this respect, specimen shape, whether being injected, porosity ratio, surface quality, bearing support design have significant matter on variability in terms of three- and four-point bending test. Therefore, different methods have been studied to reduce variability with a simpler material preparation than common methods on injected and moulded cement. The entire comparison is made with the consideration of three- and four-point bending testing, the eccentric loading error calculation with engineering calculation software “Mathcad 15”, porosity measurement with Archimedes method, microstructure investigation on Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), macroporosity distribution measurement by Micro CT Scanner