Flax fiber-reinforced plastic composites have attracted increasing interest because of the advantages of flax fibers, such as low density, relatively high toughness, high strength and stiffness, and biodegradability. Thus, oilseed flax fiber derived from flax straw, a renewable resource available in Western Canada, is recognized as a potential replacement for glass fiber in composites. Among plastics, polyethylene is a suitable material for use as a matrix in composites. However, there are not many studies in this area. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to develop flax fiber-polyethylene (PE) biocomposites via injection molding and investigate the effect of material properties and processing parameters on their properties. <p>Alkali, silane, potassium permanganate, sodium chlorite, and acrylic acid treatments were employed to flax fiber to decrease the hydrophilic of fiber and improve the adhesion between the fiber and the matrix. All chemically treated fiber-HDPE biocomposites had higher tensile strength and lower water absorption compared with non-chemically treated ones. Acrylic acid treatment of the fiber resulted in slight increase in its degradation temperature; using this treated fiber resulted in biocomposites with the best performance. Therefore, the morphological, chemical, and thermal properties of acrylic acid treated fiber were also studied. <p>Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) were the main matrices investigated in this research. Showing a high tensile strength and similar water absorption, HDPE was used as the matrix in further research. Flax fiber with 98-99% purity was chosen as reinforcement since the flax shive mixed with the fiber decreased the tensile and flexural properties but increased the water absorption of the biocomposite. <p>Acrylic acid-treated fiber-HDPE biocomposites had been developed through injection molding under different processing conditions. Increasing the fiber content of biocomposite increased its tensile and flexural strengths, especially flexural modulus, but its water absorption capacity also increased. It was possible to improve the mechanical properties of biocomposites and decrease the water absorption by adjusting injection temperature and pressure. Injection temperature had more influence on the quality of the biocomposite than injection pressure. Injection temperature lower than 195°C was recommended to achieve good composite quality. <p>Melts of HDPE and flax fiber-HDPE biocomposites were categorized as power-law fluids. Apparent viscosity, consistency coefficient, and flow behavior index of biocomposites were determined to study their flow behavior. The statistical relationship of these parameters with temperature and fiber content were modeled using the SAS and SPSS softwares. The injection filling time was related to the material rheological properties: biocomposites required longer filling time than pure HDPE. Low injection temperature also resulted in long filling time.<p>The thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat of biocomposites containing 10, 20, and 30% fiber by mass were determined in the processing temperature range of 170 to 200°C. Fiber content showed a significant influence on the thermal properties of the biocomposites. The predicted minimum cooling time increased with the thickness of the molded material, mold temperature, and injection temperature, but it decreased with the ejection temperature.

Flax fiber-reinforced plastic composites have attracted increasing interest because of the advantages of flax fibers, such as low density, relatively high toughness, high strength and stiffness, and biodegradability. Thus, oilseed flax fiber derived from flax straw, a renewable resource available in Western Canada, is recognized as a potential replacement for glass fiber in composites. Among plastics, polyethylene is a suitable material for use as a matrix in composites. However, there are not many studies in this area. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to develop flax fiber-polyethylene (PE) biocomposites via injection molding and investigate the effect of material properties and processing parameters on their properties. <p>Alkali, silane, potassium permanganate, sodium chlorite, and acrylic acid treatments were employed to flax fiber to decrease the hydrophilic of fiber and improve the adhesion between the fiber and the matrix. All chemically treated fiber-HDPE biocomposites had higher tensile strength and lower water absorption compared with non-chemically treated ones. Acrylic acid treatment of the fiber resulted in slight increase in its degradation temperature; using this treated fiber resulted in biocomposites with the best performance. Therefore, the morphological, chemical, and thermal properties of acrylic acid treated fiber were also studied. <p>Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) were the main matrices investigated in this research. Showing a high tensile strength and similar water absorption, HDPE was used as the matrix in further research. Flax fiber with 98-99% purity was chosen as reinforcement since the flax shive mixed with the fiber decreased the tensile and flexural properties but increased the water absorption of the biocomposite. <p>Acrylic acid-treated fiber-HDPE biocomposites had been developed through injection molding under different processing conditions. Increasing the fiber content of biocomposite increased its tensile and flexural strengths, especially flexural modulus, but its water absorption capacity also increased. It was possible to improve the mechanical properties of biocomposites and decrease the water absorption by adjusting injection temperature and pressure. Injection temperature had more influence on the quality of the biocomposite than injection pressure. Injection temperature lower than 195°C was recommended to achieve good composite quality. <p>Melts of HDPE and flax fiber-HDPE biocomposites were categorized as power-law fluids. Apparent viscosity, consistency coefficient, and flow behavior index of biocomposites were determined to study their flow behavior. The statistical relationship of these parameters with temperature and fiber content were modeled using the SAS and SPSS softwares. The injection filling time was related to the material rheological properties: biocomposites required longer filling time than pure HDPE. Low injection temperature also resulted in long filling time.<p>The thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat of biocomposites containing 10, 20, and 30% fiber by mass were determined in the processing temperature range of 170 to 200°C. Fiber content showed a significant influence on the thermal properties of the biocomposites. The predicted minimum cooling time increased with the thickness of the molded material, mold temperature, and injection temperature, but it decreased with the ejection temperature.

The aim of this research was to study the influence of altered water availability on stomatal patterns of leaves. A baseline study of leaves stomatal indices, (stomatal as a proportional of all epidermal cells) stomatal density, (number of stomatal per unit area of epidermis) epidermal cell density, epidermal cell length and stomatal length and width was made in wheat, and sorghum cultivars; Saudi Red, Funk, Indian White, Morgon 854, Morgon 856 and Pioneer 8ss in relation to water limitation. Seedlings of wheat and sorghum cultivars grown under water limitation showed increases in their stomatal density, epidermal cell density and trichome index in response to reduced watering frequency. Stomatal index of the two species, however, were not altered in the same way. In sorghum there was no apparent change in stomatal index in relation to water limitation treatment but stomatal density and trichome index increased. In wheat there was a marked reduction in the stomatal index in response to water limitation but there were increases in trichome indices and stomatal densities of all parts of the leaves. Wheat plants grown under water limitation imposed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatments to roots showed marked reductions in their growth compared with controls. Stomatal density was found to increase in response to PEG treatments while stomatal index decreased. Incubation of newly-germinated wheat seedlings in PEG resulted in an inhibition of growth of coleoptiles. However, the density of stomata decreased, unlike what was seen in leaf tissues. When wheat coleoptiles were subjected to conditions of limited water availability guard mother cell (GMC) production appeared not to be influenced by water status of the tissues. Wheat coleoptiles grown under different periods of light showed slight decreases in stomata density compared to the controls. Abscisic acid treatment was able to substitute for water limitation treatments by reducing stomatal index in both leaves and coleoptiles whilst increasing the production of trichomes in leaves. However, in coleoptile the same treatment reduced both the GMC index as well as stomata index. Salinity treatments, inhibited seed germination and were found to decrease stomatal index. Incubation of wheat seedlings in PEG resulted in a yellow pigmentation of the roots. The pigment was tentatively identified. However, it was not possible to distinguish whether the pigment was a specific metabolite of PEG in the roots or was produced by a non-biological conversion of PEG.