Mechanoelectrical Effects in Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymers as Structural Health Monitoring

Natural fiber-reinforced polymers are gaining popularity as sustainable structural materials. However, their inherent variability can limit their reliability in load-bearing applications. To address this issue, we investigate a novel structural health monitoring method that leverages mechanoelectrical effects in flax fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. In our study, a contactless capacitive coupled measurement setup records electrical polarization during fatigue testing at four load levels. The polarization signals we observed increased with increasing load levels. Additionally, changes in polarization correlate with changes in dynamic modulus, providing early indicators of potential failure. This work lays the foundation for a new type of structural health monitoring in natural fiber-reinforced polymers.