Natural fibers reinforcements are a prevalent option for applications in composite manufacturing. There is a significant ongoing research in the field of natural fiber reinforced composites, which mainly aims at reducing the overall carbon footprint. Natural fiber composites has a great potential as the focus of many industry is shifting from synthetic fibers that are commonly used in manufacturing composites today like glass, carbon and aramid to more sustainable natural fibers. Some of the major issues with conventional synthetic fibers are high energy consumption during production and non-degradability. Similarly, polymer resins like epoxy and vinyl ester, which are most commonly used in high performance composites, are petroleum based. With the reserve of petroleum depleting, alternative sustainable fibers and resins are the substitute.  <br/>The applications of natural fibers are growing in the field of engineering and technology due to its favorable properties like biodegradability, sustainability, high strength and corrosion resistance. Due to these benefits, synthetic fibers and resins from hazardous chemicals are being substituted with natural fibers and resins. As a result, the term “Green composites” or “biocomposites” have emerged, which is a blend of the intrinsic properties of fiber and matrix derived from natural resources. <br/>Hemp fibers have been used as reinforcement in composites due to high specific strength and young’s modules. Moreover, hemp fibers possess a much higher vibration dampening capacity, higher fiber yields, pest resistant and drought resistance. All these properties make it an excellent candidate for composite reinforcement. <br/> <br/>The objectives of this presentation is to explain the importance of composites from natural resources and showcasing hemp as a strong contender for composites, highlighting the potential application.

Composites from natural resources: Hemp fiber reinforced composites from 3D orthogonal woven preforms and their potential applications in US

255th National Meeting (2018)

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