Non-woven flax fibre reinforced acrylic based polyester composites: The effect of sodium silicate on mechanical, flammability and acoustic properties

Since the past decade, demand for natural and sustainable products has increased significantly from various manufacturing sectors, particularly in construction, packaging, and automotive, due to the promising potential in benefitting the natural environment and in addressing the public concern over environmental protection and regulation. As such, natural fibres played a key role in developing biocomposites in substituting conventional, synthetic, and non-renewable reinforcing materials, such as fibre glass and aramid fibre. Replacement of these conventional reinforcing materials with natural fibres offers various advantages, such as low density, high specific strength, good sound absorption properties, and biodegradability [1-3]. Natural fibre composites have been utilised by the European car-makers for dash boards, door panels, headliners, seatbacks, and 553