Towards Sustainable Composite Structures: Experimental Characterisation and Damage Modelling of Unidirectional Flax Fibre-Reinforced Polymers

The increasing demand for sustainable engineering solutions has driven extensive research into natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFCs), notably flax fibre-reinforced polymers (FFRPs), which offer promising eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic composites. This study presents a comprehensive application of continuum damage mechanics (CDM) methodology to unidirectional (UD) FFRPs, addressing critical gaps in predictive modelling of progressive intralaminar damage for sustainable structural applications. A systematic experimental characterisation protocol was developed to identify material parameters that account for the inherent variability and complex nonlinear behaviour of natural fibres. The CDM model was calibrated using comprehensive quasi-static testing on multiple laminate configurations and validated through finite element analysis (FEA) in Siemens Simcenter Samcef. The model accurately captures the nonlinear behaviour and damage mechanisms of notched flax-epoxy laminates, achieving prediction accuracies of 97.61% and 88.98% for the force-displacement response in open-hole tensile (OHT) validation tests. Integrating experimental characterisation with FEA enables robust virtual prototyping of sustainable composite structures, supporting design optimisation and lifecycle assessment. This research establishes validated damage modelling methodologies for eco-friendly NFC, facilitating accelerated adoption in automotive, marine, and construction sectors.