Effect of glass microspheres and fabric weave structure on mechanical performance of hemp/green epoxy composites

Despite many advantages, poor mechanical properties are a limiting factor in market growth of natural fiber composites. This work is focused on improvement in the mechanical properties of hemp/green epoxy composites by using four different weave structures and by adding glass microspheres (GMS) to the resin. The reinforcement was fabricated in four different weave designs (matt, satin, hybrid weave A, and hybrid weave B) and four different percentages of GMS (0%, 2%, 3.5%, and 5% on the weight of resin) were also mixed in the green epoxy resin. Four layered composites were fabricated by using vacuum bagging technique. The tensile, flexural and impact tests were conducted. The results showed that the tensile strength of composites with satin weave reinforcement is better than other weaves, due to longer warp thread float and lesser number of intersection points. While, during flexural and pendulum (Charpy) impact testing, matt weave composite showed better results due to its stable and robust structure as compared to the other weave composites. Keeping the weave design constant, the composites with 5% GSM showed better tensile, flexural and impact behavior. Both factors (weave design and GMS percentage) showed a statistically significant effect on the mechanical test results.