Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of Loading Frequency on the High Cycle Fatigue Strength of Flax Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

Md Zahirul Islam, Chad A. Ulven^*

Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA

* Corresponding Author: Chad A. Ulven. Email:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2022, 10(5), 1185-1200. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2022.018018

Received 23 June 2021; Accepted 30 August 2021; Issue published 22 December 2021

Abstract

Among natural fibers, flax fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites show excellent dynamic/fatigue properties due to its excellent damping properties. Knowledge about fatigue limit and effect of loading frequency on fatigue limit is very crucial to know before being used a member as a structural component. Fatigue limit of fiber reinforced composite is measured through high cycle fatigue strength (HCFS). The effect of loading frequency on the HCFS of flax fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites was investigated using stabilized specimen surface temperature based thermographic and dissipated energy per cycle-based approaches. Specimens of unidirectional flax fiber reinforced thermoset composites were tested under cyclic loading at different percentages of applied stresses for the loading frequencies of 5, 7, 10, and 15 Hz in order to determine the stabilized surface temperature of the specimen and dissipated energy per fatigue cycle. Both approaches predicted similar fatigue limits (HCFS) which showed a good agreement with experimental results from Literature. HCFS of flax fiber reinforced composites decrease little with increasing loading frequency. Furthermore, effect of loading frequency on stabilized specimen temperature and dissipated energy per fatigue cycle was also investigated. Although specimen surface temperature increases with loading frequency, dissipated energy per-cycle does not change with loading frequency. Thermal degradation at higher loading frequencies may play a significant role in decreasing HCFS with increasing loading frequency.

---

Keywords

---