Load-bearing natural fiber composite cellular beams and panels

Natural fiber composites, or biocomposites, have recently gained much attention due to their low cost, environmental friendliness, and their potential to compete with glass-fiber composites. The reported study demonstrates that biocomposites can be used for load-bearing components by improving their structural efficiency through cellular material arrangements. Laboratory-scale periodic cellular beams and plates were made from industrial hemp and flax fibers with unsaturated polyester resin. Material and structural performance was experimentally assessed and compared with results from short-fiber composite micro-mechanics models and sandwich analyses. Short-term analytical evaluation of full-scale cellular biocomposite components indicates that they can compete with components made from conventional materials. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.