Fatigue behavior of Elium®-based thermoplastic composites fabricated by liquid composite molding : A review

The introduction of infusible thermoplastic polymers, such as Elium® resins, has significantly impacted the field of composite materials. These thermoplastics have facilitated the production of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites through liquid composite molding, offering ease and cost efficiency of manufacturing and recyclability potential. While initial research focused on the quasi-static mechanical behavior of Elium®-based composites, understanding their long-term fatigue behavior is equally essential to establish their viability as alternatives to thermoset composites in various industries such as automotive, wind turbines, and marine applications. This paper reviews recent studies on the fatigue performance of Elium® resin reinforced by glass, carbon, and flax fibres and compares the behavior to those made with the typical epoxy matrices as a benchmark. The effect of matrix type, fibre type, laminate lay-up, fibre volume fraction, and environmental conditions on composite fatigue are also analyzed. The currently available data shows that Elium®-based composites can offer comparable fatigue properties to epoxy composites over a wide range of composite compositions and testing environments. This suggests a high potential for these new materials, especially in light of their significant life-cycle and sustainability benefits. An insight is also given on the comparison of the processing requirements and properties of Elium® resin compared to other relevant thermoplastics such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK). The review concludes with suggestions for future research opportunities and directions. • Elium®-based composites have shown comparable fatigue results to epoxy-based composites. • Elium®-based composites can have better stiffness retention in fatigue tests after ageing. • Flax fibre composites outperform glass fibre composites in certain loading conditions and architectures. • Unidirectional composites have shown superior fatigue behavior than other orientations. • The effect of V f on the fatigue performance of composites needs further investigation.