Synthesis and testing of co-polymer impregnators for improved plastination of flax fibers

Flax fibers and their composites are known for their mechanical properties comparable to many petroleumbased composites, such as high strength-to-weight ratios, while offering major sustainability advantages as bioderived and renewable materials. However, the natural fibers’ susceptibility to moisture uptake and degradation currently limits their use in many structural applications. Plastination presents a promising approach to impregnate and preserve these fibers against weathering, but their inherently hydrophilic nature makes this process challenging when using conventional polymer impregnation methods. This project aims to develop a novel polymer system with enhanced impregnation performance for flax fibers, enabling their use in industrial composite products such as vacuum infusion processed (VIP) panels for structural outdoor applications.

Faculty Supervisor:

Parisa Mehrkhodavandi;Abbas Sadeghzadeh Milani

Student:

Partner:

NetZero Enterprises Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

The University of British Columbia; The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program: