Recently, interest in composite manufacturing has shifted towards the use of natural fibres as reinforcement because of their environmental benefits. The use of a biodegradable matrix is worth considering since this would result in a completely biodegradable composite. In order to assess the most suitable matrix polymer, one must know the properties of the available polymers. Since data tend to...

An existing coupon compression fixture was modified for testing cylindrical coupon samples of pultruded material in compression. Then a new fixture was developed for testing full-size structural shapes, which presents all the advantages of the coupon fixture. Particularly, splitting of the end of the sample is prevented while reducing the stress concentration factor at the ends, yielding compre...