Design and development of 100% bio-based high-grade hemp/epoxy composites

In order to develop 100% bio-based high-grade epoxy composites, in this study, bio-based epoxy thermosets and hemp slivers are processed and characterized by different technologies. Epoxy resins are synthesized from the diglycidylether of Eugenol, extracted from cloves. They are cured with bio-based acid anhydrides. The physicochemical properties of the resulting epoxy resins are characterized using thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and nanoindentation. The mechanical properties of hemp fibres extracted from the slivers are also determined using tensile tests. After their processing and characterization, these bio-based constituents are then used to manufacture unidirectional composites by thermocompression. Composite specimens are tested under 3-points bending. Preliminary results show a stiffness of about 9 GPa and a strength of approximately 170 MPa for a fibres volume fraction of 22%. These mechanical properties are promising since they make this material competitive to substitute petroleum-based composites in secondary structural applications.