Sustainable Composite Manufacturing

Fiber metal laminates (FML) are a growing area of attention in research and application as they continue to show promising results in the areas of lightweight aerospace and automotive applications. Many of the composites that have been studied thus far contain synthetic fibers. As the world undergoes a concerted effort to create more sustainable products and systems, natural fibers are being sought out as alternatives to the carbon and glass synthetic fibers that are commonplace. In this study, a 4-ply glass fiber composite was prepared in a vacuum press as well as 4 and 5-ply hemp composites, bonded with an epoxy matrix. Three-point bending tests were conducted on each of these composites and the results were visually inspected, while the force and displacement data was converted into stress-strain graphs, allowing a comparison of the performance of the fiber types. Both the 4 and 5-ply hemp fiber composites were found to have lower tensile strength and modulus values than the 4-ply glass fiber composite.