A green and sustainable biocomposite materials: environmentally robust, high performance, low-cost materials for helicopter lighter structures

Abstract The growing demand for lightweight, durable, and sustainable materials in the aerospace sector motivates the development of high value biocomposites. This work experimentally investigates the potential of pure bast flax fiber reinforced with zirconium dioxide (ZrO ₂ ) nanoparticles at varying concentrations (1, 2, and 3 wt%) for light weight helicopter structures. Laminates were fabricated using a hand lay-up compression molding technique and characterized for low-velocity impact resistance, flexural strength, and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS). Further, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were used to characterize the thermo-mechanical performance and failure mechanisms. The key finding is that the 3 wt% ZrO ₂ nanocomposite significantly enhanced all critical properties, it demonstrated a 63 % higher maximum impact force (740 N), a 86 % increase in flexural strength, reaching 134 MPa, compared to the 72 MPa pure flax, increased ILSS by 38.2 %, reaching 4.7 MPa, and a 91 % enhancement in the DMA storage modulus (8.46 GPa). These findings demonstrate the strong potential of these nanocomposites for use in demanding, weight-sensitive applications, such as lighter helicopter structures.