Comparison between dew‐retted and enzyme‐retted flax fibers as reinforcing material for composites

Two kinds of retted Canadian linseed flax fibers, dew‐retted (F1) and enzyme‐retted flax fibers (F2) were characterized in detail for their applications in composites, such as retting degree, thermal stability, tensile strength, and interfacial behavior in polypropylene (PP) matrix. It's clear from Scanning Electron Micrograph that the aspect ratio of F2 was much higher than that of F1 in the light of their separated elementary fibers in most cases. Instead, the elementary fibers of F1 remained tightly bundled into technical fiber wrapping with more non‐cellulose portions. This reflected its lower retting degree and resulted in its lower thermal stability. Single fiber tensile test and single fiber pull‐out test were used to evaluate the fiber tensile properties and fiber/PP interfacial shear strength, respectively. Better retting degree and fewer damages on F2 endowed F2 better tensile property. Consequently, higher aspect ratio, retting degree, and tensile strength proved F2 to be a kind of better reinforcing material than F1 for composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. 2011 published by Society of Plastics Engineers     

Tensile Fracture and Failure Behavior of Thermoplastic Starch with Unidirectional and Cross‐Ply Flax Fiber Reinforcements

Thermoplastic starch (MaterBi®) based composites containing flax fibers in unidirectional and crossed‐ply arrangements were produced by hot pressing using the film stacking method. The flax content was varied in three steps, viz. 20, 40 and 60 wt.‐%. Static tensile mechanical properties (stiffness and strength) of the composites were determined on dumbbell specimens. During their loading the acoustic emission (AE) was recorded. Burst type AE signal characteristics (amplitude, width) were traced to the failure mechanisms and supported by fractographic inspection. The mechanical response and failure mode of the composites strongly depended on the flax content and the flax fiber lay‐up. It was established that the tensile strength increases until 40 wt.‐% flax fiber content but stays almost constant above this value. In the case of 40 wt.‐% unidirectional fiber reinforcement, the tensile strength of the composite was 3 times greater than that of the pure starch matrix. The flax fiber reinforcement increased the tensile modulus of the pure starch by several orders of amplitude.

SEM picture of the fracture surface of a composite with UD flax reinforcement.     

Preparation of microwave radiation induced graft copolymers and their applications as reinforcing material in phenolic composites

Flax fiber was modified through grafting of binary vinyl monomers mixtures such as methyl methacrylate (MMA)/vinyl acetate (VA), MMA/acrylamide (AAm), and MMA/styrene (Sty) under the influence of microwave radiations. 24.64% grafting was found at 210 W microwave power under optimum reaction conditions. Graft copolymers obtained were characterized with FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and TGA/DTA techniques. Graft copolymers were found to be moisture retardant with better tensile strength. Phenolic composites using graft copolymers vis‐à‐vis flax as reinforcing material were subjected for the evaluation of different mechanical properties such as wear resistance, tensile strength, compressive strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and stress at the limit of proportionality (SP). Composites reinforced with graft copolymers showed better mechanical properties in comparison to composites reinforced with flax. Phenolic composites reinforced with Flax‐g‐poly(MMA/Sty) showed maximum wear resistance followed by reinforcement with flax, Flax‐g‐poly (MMA/AAm), and Flax‐g‐poly(MMA/VA). Composites reinforced with Flax‐g‐poly(MMA/Sty) and flax fibers have been found to show 150 N tensile strength with extension of 3.94 and 2.17 mm, respectively. It has also been found that composites reinforced with Flax‐g‐poly(MMA/Sty) showed maximum compressive strength (1,000 N) with compression of 3.71 mm in comparison to other graft copolymers and flax fibers reinforcement. Reinforcement of phenolic resin with Flax‐g‐poly(MMA/Sty) and flax fibers could improve the MOR and MOE. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Enhancement of mechanical properties and interfacial adhesion of PP/EPDM/flax fiber composites using maleic anhydride as a compatibilizer

In order to improve the compatibility between natural fibers and polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene‐ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (PP‐EPDM) blends, the functionalization of both matrices with maleic anhydride (MA) is investigated in this study. The morphological observations carried out by scanning electron microscopy show that the incorporation of small amounts of functionalized polymer considerably improves the adhesion at the fiber‐matrix interface. In these cases, the fibers are perfectly embedded in the matrix in relation to the composites prepared with the pure homopolymers, and a significant increase in the composite strength is also observed, particularly, after the incorporation of both modified polymers (MAPP and MAEPDM). Thus, it is possible to correlate better interfacial adhesion with the improvement of mechanical properties. It is assumed that the functionalization of the matrix reduces interfacial stress concentrations and may prevent fiber‐fiber interactions, which are responsible for premature composite failure. The crystallization kinetics of PP were also analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was observed that both flax fiber and rubber behave as effective nucleant agents, accelerating PP crystallization. Moreover, these results are particularly relevant when the grafted matrices are added to the composite. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2170–2178, 2003     

High Stiffness Natural Fiber‐Reinforced Hybrid Polypropylene Composites

Abstract

Natural fibers are potentially a high‐performance non‐abrasive reinforcing fiber source. In this study, pulp fibers [including bleached Kraft pulp (BKP) and thermomechanical pulp (TMP)], hemp, flax, and wood flour were used for reinforcing in polypropylene (PP) composite. The results show that pulp fibers, in particular, TMP‐reinforced PP has the highest tensile strength, possibly because pulp fibers were subjected to less severe shortening during compounding, compared to hemp and flax fiber bundles. Maleic‐anhydride grafted PP (MAPP) with high maleic anhydride groups and high molecular weight was more effective in improving strength properties of PP composite as a compatiblizer. Coupled with 10% glass fiber, 40% TMP reinforced PP had a tensile strength of 70 MPa and a specific tensile strength comparable to glass fiber reinforced PP. Thermomechanical pulp was more effective in reinforcing than BKP. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to aid in the analysis. Polypropylene with high impact strength was also used in compounding to improve the low‐impact strength prevalent in natural fiber‐reinforced PP from injection molding.     

Experimental investigation of the influence of the compounding process and the composite composition on the mechanical properties of a short flax fiber–reinforced polypropylene composite

Polypropylene (PP) composites containing 20 wt% short flax fibers are prepared, and the process parameters such as throughput, rotational speed, and screw configuration are varied during melt compounding with a corotating intermeshing twin‐screw extruder. The investigations reveal that low rotational speeds, high throughputs, and moderate shear energy inputs by the screw configuration led to an optimum set of mechanical properties. To investigate the influence of different composite compositions on the mechanical properties, composites with fiber contents between 0 and 40 wt% and maleic anhydride‐grafted PP (PP‐g‐MA) contents between 0 and 7 wt% are prepared. Increasing fiber contents enhance the Young's modulus and decrease the elongation at break and the notched impact strength. The tensile strength is barely affected. The addition of PP‐g‐MA increases the tensile strength as well as the elongation at break, whereas the Young's modulus is not influenced. Thus, PP‐g‐MA enhances the adhesion between PP and flax fibers significantly. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:2282–2290, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Use of wet‐laid techniques to form flax‐polypropylene nonwovens as base substrates for eco‐friendly composites by using hot‐press molding

The wet‐laid process with flax (base) and polypropylene (binder) fibers has been used to obtain nonwovens for further processing by hot‐press molding. Mechanical characterization of nonwovens has revealed that slight anisotropy is obtained with the wet‐laid process as better tensile strength is obtained in the preferential deposition direction. The thermo‐bonding process provides good cohesion to nonwovens, which is critical for further handling/shaping by hot‐press molding. Flax:PP composites have been processed by stacking eight individual flax:PP nonwoven sheets and applying moderate temperature and pressure. As the amount of binder fiber is relatively low (<30 wt%) if compared with similar systems processed by extrusion and injection molding, it is possible to obtain eco‐friendly composites as the total content on natural fiber (flax) is higher than 70 wt%. Mechanical characterization of hot‐pressed flax:PP composites has revealed high dependency of tensile and flexural strength on the total amount of binder fiber as this component is responsible for flax fiber embedment which is a critical parameter to ensure good fiber–matrix interaction. Combination of wet‐laid techniques with hot‐press molding processes is interesting from both technical and environmental points of view as high natural fiber content composites with balanced properties can be obtained. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Physical and mechanical properties of kenaf/flax hybrid composites

This research investigates the physical and mechanical properties of hybrid composites made of epoxy reinforced by kenaf and flax natural fibers to investigate the hybridization influences of the composites. Pure and hybrid composites were fabricated using bi-directional kenaf and flax fabrics at different stacking sequences utilizing the vacuum-assisted resin infusion method. The pure and hybrid composites' physical properties, such as density, fiber volume fraction (FVF), water absorption capacity, and dimensional stability, were measured. The tests of tensile, flexural, interlaminar shear and fracture toughness (Mode II) were examined to determine the mechanical properties. The results revealed that density remained unchanged for the hybrid compared to pure kenaf/epoxy composites. The tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear performance of flax/epoxy composite is improved by an increment of kenaf FVF in hybrid composites. The stacking sequence significantly affected the mechanical properties of hybrid composites. The highest tensile strength (59.8 MPa) was obtained for FK2 (alternative sequence of flax and kenaf fibers). However, FK3 (flax fiber located on the outer surfaces) had the highest interlaminar shear strength (12.5 MPa) and fracture toughness (3302.3 J/m²) among all tested hybrid composites. The highest water resistance was achieved for FK5 with the lowest thickness swelling.     

Prefailure damage processes in highly filled glass/mica/epoxy composites

In the present study, the prefailure damage processes of a series of short glass fiber/mica/epoxy composites under three-point bending were elucidated using acoustic emission (AE) coupled with in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. This study consisted of a detailed investigation of the damage tolerance of composite systems that had constant inorganic content of 75% by weight with a varying ratio of glass fibers to mica. The flexural strength was found to increase from 11 to 21 ksi as the glass fiber content increased (mica content decreased), while the flexural modulus decreased from 5.0 to 2.5 Msi. By monitoring the AE during flexural deformation of the glass fiber-to-mica ratio composites, it was determined that low amplitude (0–42 db) AE events, which occurred throughout the deformation process, were caused by matrix cracking, whereas the high-amplitude (43–100 db) AE events, which occurred just prior to failure, were caused by a fiber-related mechanism. In situ SEM observations of the composites during flexural deformation allowed a correlation between the AE and the damage mechanisms as a function of strain. In the all-mica composite, microcracking initiated in the linear region at preexisting flaws, on the order of 10 μm, located at the mica interface. These microcracks grew along the mica contours over the majority of the deformation process, emitting low-amplitude events, until final fracture occurred at relatively low strains. In the glass fiber-containing composites, microcracking initiated in the linear region at preexisting flaws and voids, on the order of 10 μm. These microcracks grew slowly, emitting low-amplitude events, as the strain increased, but were prevented from causing failure at low strains because of the toughening effect of the glass fibers. At sufficiently high strains, however, fiber breakage and fiber pull-out occurred that corresponded to the high-amplitude events detected by the AE. At strains just prior to failure, catastrophic crack growth occurred, producing a rapid increase in both low-and high-amplitude events, causing ultimate failure.     

Biobased composites prepared by compression molding with a novel thermoset resin from soybean oil and a natural‐fiber reinforcement

Biobased composites were manufactured with a compression‐molding technique. Novel thermoset resins from soybean oil were used as a matrix, and flax fibers were used as reinforcements. The air‐laid fibers were stacked randomly, the woven fabrics were stacked crosswise (0/90°), and impregnation was performed manually. The fiber/resin ratio was 60 : 40. The prepared biobased composites were characterized by impact and flexural testing. Scanning electron microscopy of knife‐cut cross sections of the specimens was also done to investigate the fiber–matrix interface. Thermogravimetric analysis of the composites was carried out to provide indications of thermal stability. Three resins from soybean oil [methacrylated soybean oil, methacrylic anhydride modified soybean oil (MMSO), and acetic anhydride modified soybean oil] were used as matrices. The impact strength of the composites with MMSO resin reinforced with air‐laid flax fibers was 24 kJ/m², whereas that of the MMSO resin reinforced with woven flax fabric was between 24 and 29 kJ/m². The flexural strength of the MMSO resin reinforced with air‐laid flax fibers was between 83 and 118 MPa, and the flexural modulus was between 4 and 6 GPa, whereas the flexural strength of the MMSO resin reinforced with woven fabric was between 90 and 110 MPa, and the flexural modulus was between 4.87 and 6.1 GPa. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Unidirectional hemp and flax EP‐ and PP‐composites: Influence of defined fiber treatments

In some technical areas, mainly in the automotive industry, glass fiber reinforced polymers are intended to be replaced by natural fiber reinforced polymer systems. Therefore, higher requirements will be imposed to the physical fiber properties, fiber‐matrix adhesion, and the quality assurance. To improve the properties of epoxy resins (EP) and polypropylene (PP) composites, flax and hemp fibers were modified by mercerization and MAH‐PP coupling agent was used for preparing the PP composites. The effects of different mercerization parameters such as concentration of alkali (NaOH), temperature, and duration time along with tensile stress applied to the fibers on the structure and properties of hemp fibers were studied and judged via the cellulose I–II lattice conversion. It was observed that the mechanical properties of the fibers can be controlled in a broad range by using appropriate mercerization parameters. Unidirectional EP composites were manufactured by the filament winding technique; at the PP matrix material, a combination with a film‐stacking technique was used. The influence of mercerization parameters on the properties of EP composites was studied with hemp yarn as an example. Different macromechanical effects are shown at hemp‐ and flax‐PP model composites with mercerized, MAH‐PP‐treated, or MAH‐PP‐treated mercerized yarns. The composites' properties were verified by tensile and flexural tests. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2150–2156, 2004     

Flax fiber surface modifications: Effects on fiber physico mechanical and flax/polypropylene interface properties

This study arises on the opportunities of using flax fibers as reinforcement for polypropylene (PP) matrix composites. For this purpose, untreated flax fiber bundles obtained by a retting process have been used. For improving compatibility between flax fiber bundles and PP matrix, fiber surface treatments such as maleic anhydride, maleic anhydride polypropylene copolymer, and vinyltrimethoxy silane have been carried out. On the other hand, alkali treatment has also been carried out for fiber modification. The effect of surface modification on tensile properties of single fibers and also on fiber‐matrix interfacial shear strength (IFSS) has been analyzed. Finally, both optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been used for characterizing flax fiber microstructural features. The current study completes previous results to elucidate the influence of treatments on fiber surface and flax fiber‐PP interface. POLYM. COMPOS. 26:324–332, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Grafting of acrylic acid onto flax fibers using Mn(IV)‐citric acid redox system

When the flax fibers (machine tow) were treated with KMnO₄ solution, MnO₂ was deposited over‐all the fiber surface. The amount of MnO₂ deposited relied on the KMnO₄ concentration. Subjecting the flax‐containing MnO₂ to a solution consisting of monomer (acrylic acid, AA) and citric acid, CA (or any acid used in this work) resulted in formation of poly(AA)‐flax graft copolymer. Dependence of the polymer criteria, namely, the total percentage conversion (%TC) and the carboxyl content of the grafted flax fibers on various grafting parameters, viz., concentrations of the redox pair as well as AA, material‐to‐liquor ratio (M/R), duration and temperature of polymerization, kind of the acid and kind of the flax fibers pretreatment was studied systematically. The results indicated that the polymerizability of AA molecules, expressed as %TC (i.e., counting both grafting and homopolymerization) and thence the carboxyl content (i.e., evaluating the extent of AA grafting along the flax backbone) was optimized with the following conditions: [AA], 100% (based on weight of flax fibers, owf); [CA], 0.4 meq/1 g flax; [MnO₂], 0.4 meq/1 g flax; polymerization temperature, 40°C; polymerization time, 30 min; and the M/R, 1 : 50. A tentative mechanism for grafting of flax fibers with AA using MnO₂‐acid redox system was elucidated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 3028–3036, 2006     

Mechanical properties of natural fiber hybrid composites based on renewable thermoset resins derived from soybean oil,for use in technical applications

Natural fiber composites are known to have lower mechanical properties than glass or carbon fiber reinforced composites. The hybrid natural fiber composites prepared in this study have relatively good mechanical properties. Different combinations of woven and non‐woven flax fibers were used. The stacking sequence of the fibers was in different orientations, such as 0°, +45°, and 90°. The composites manufactured had good mechanical properties. A tensile strength of about 119 MPa and Young's modulus of about 14 GPa was achieved, with flexural strength and modulus of about 201 MPa and 24 GPa, respectively. For the purposes of comparison, composites were made with a combination of woven fabrics and glass fibers. One ply of a glass fiber mat was sandwiched in the mid‐plane and this increased the tensile strength considerably to 168 MPa. Dynamic mechanical analysis was performed in order to determine the storage and loss modulus and the glass transition temperature of the composites. Microstructural analysis was done with scanning electron microscopy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Study on interfacial properties of unidirectional flax/vinyl ester composites: Resin manipulation on vinyl ester system

Flax fibers are widely used as reinforcements in bio‐based polymer matrix composites. This study investigated the hydrophilic nature and surface purity of flax fiber that affects fiber/matrix adhesion in combination with hydrophobic structural polymers via matrix modification and the utilization of fiber treatment, specifically in a flax/vinyl ester (VE) composite. A new method to manipulate the vinyl ester system with acrylic resin (AR) was developed to produce flax reinforced. On the other hand, different types of chemical and physical treatments were applied on the flax fiber. FTIR was applied to evaluate the effects of surface treatments. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to analyze the unmodified and modified VE resin system. The surface of untreated and treated flax fibers and their composites were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Sodium ethoxide‐treated flax/VE with 1% (wt) AR caused the best mechanical performance among all the flax/VE composites evaluated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Mechanical properties and morphology of flax fiber reinforced melamine‐formaldehyde composites

The mechanical performance of natural fiber reinforced polymers is often limited owing to a weak fiber‐matrix interface. In contrast, melamine‐formaldehyde (MF) resins are well known to have a strong adhesion to most cellulose containing materials. In this Paper, nonwoven flax fiber mat reinforced and particulate filled MF composites processed by compression molding are studied and compared to a similar MF composite reinforced with glass fibers. Using flax instead of glass fibers has a somewhat negative effect on tensile performance. However, the difference is relatively small, and if density and material cost are taken into account, flax fibers become competitive. Tensile damage is quantified from the stiffness reduction during cyclic straining. Compared to glass fibers, flax fibers generate a material with a considerably lower damage rate. From scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it is found that microcracking takes place mainly in the fiber cell walls and not at the fiber‐matrix interface. This suggests that the fiber‐matrix adhesion is high. The materials are also compared using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and water absorption measurements.     

Mechanical characterization and fractography of glass fiber/polyamide (PA6) composites

The mechanical properties of the glass fiber reinforced Polyamide (PA6) composites made by prepreg tapes and commingled yarns were studied by in‐plane compression, short‐beam shear, and flexural tests. The composites were fabricated with different fiber volume contents (prepregs—47%, 55%, 60%, and commingled—48%, 48%, 49%, respectively) by using vacuum consolidation technique. To evaluate laminate quality in terms of fiber wet‐out at filament level, homogeneity of fiber/matrix distribution, and matrix/fiber bonding standard microscopic methods like optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used. Both commingled and prepreg glass fiber/PA6 composites (with V_f ∼ 48%) give mechanical properties such as compression strength (530–570 MPa), inter‐laminar shear strength (70–80 MPa), and transverse strength (80–90 MPa). By increasing small percentage in the fiber content show significant rise in compression strength, slight decrease in the ILSS and transverse strengths, whereas semipreg give very poor properties with the slight increase in fiber content. Overall comparison of mechanical properties indicates commingled glass fiber/PA6 composite shows much better performance compared with prepregs due to uniform distribution of fiber and matrix, better melt‐impregnation while processing, perfect alignment of glass fibers in the composite. This study proves again that the presence of voids and poor interface bonding between matrix/fiber leads to decrease in the mechanical properties. Fractographic characterization of post‐failure surfaces reveals information about the cause and sequence of failure. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:834–853, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Development and characterization of flax fiber reinforced biocomposite using flaxseed oil‐based bio‐resin

In this study, acrylated epoxidized flaxseed oil (AEFO) resin is synthesized from flaxseed oil, and flax fiber reinforced AEFO biocomposites is produced via a vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding technique. Different amounts of flax fiber and styrene are added to the resin to improve its mechanical and physical properties. Both flax fiber and styrene improve the mechanical properties of these biocomposites, but the flexural strength decreases with an increase in styrene content. The mass increase during water absorption testing is less than 1.5% (w/w) for all of the AEFO‐based biocomposites. The density of the AEFO resin is 1.166 g/cm³, which increases to 1.191 g/cm³ when reinforced with 10% (w/w) flax fiber. The flax fiber reinforced AEFO‐based biocomposites have a maximum tensile strength of 31.4 ± 1.2 MPa and Young's modulus of 520 ± 31 MPa. These biocomposites also have a maximum flexural strength of 64.5 ± 2.3 MPa and a flexural modulus of 2.98 ± 0.12 GPa. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41807.     

Flax fiber‐reinforced polylactide stereocomplex composites with enhanced heat resistance and mechanical properties

Polylactide stereocomplex (sc‐PLA) prepared by blending equivalent proportion of poly(l ‐lactic acid)/poly(d ‐lactic acid) (PLLA/PDLA) and its composites reinforced with 10, 20, and 30% flax fibers were fabricated by melt compounding and followed by injection molding. The mechanical properties, crystallinity, cross‐section morphology, and heat resistance of sc‐PLA and flax/sc‐PLA composites were compared. The results showed that homocrystallites (hc) and stereocomplex crystallites (sc) were formed simultaneously in sc‐PLA and its composites, with a melting temperature at ∼170 and ∼210°C, respectively. The crystallinity and sc content of composite increased with the increasing content of the flax fibers. The sc content of 30% flax/sc‐PLA composite could reach 98.4%, 32% higher than that of sc‐PLA (66.4%). When compared with nonblended PLLA, heat resistance of sc‐PLA increased slightly, but at the expense of mechanical properties. By the addition of flax fibers, the mechanical properties of flax/sc‐PLA composite improved significantly. The highest tensile strength, Young's modulus, and notched Izod impact strength of flax/sc‐PLA composite were 52.90 MPa, 6.42 GPa, and 5.27 kJ/m², respectively, improved by 54, 132, and 343% when compared with sc‐PLA. Moreover, the heat resistance of composite was also improved greatly by reinforcing with flax fibers. The Vicat softening temperature of 30% flax/sc‐PLA composite could achieve 162.5°C, nearly 100°C higher than that of PLLA. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:472–478, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Stiffness and strength of flax fiber/polymer matrix composites

Flax fiber composites with thermoset and thermoplastic polymer matrices have been manufactured and tested for stiffness and strength under uniaxial tension. Flax/polypropylene and flax/maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene composites are produced from compound obtained by coextrusion of granulated polypropylene and flax fibers, while flax fiber mat/vinylester and modified acrylic resin composites are manufactured by resin transfer molding. The applicability of rule‐of‐mixtures and orientational averaging based models, developed for short fiber composites, to flax reinforced polymers is considered. POLYM. COMPOS. 27:221–229, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers