Page 9 - Cannabis&Hemp Industrial-Hemp-Brochure

Stalk: Natural Fiber Composites

Tensile Testing

Natural fiber composites combine plant fibers, such as hemp, with a polymer matrix to create materials with improved
rigidity and strength and decreased weight. Composites made with natural fibers have potential advantages over glass
and carbon fiber reinforcements in many applications due to the right balance of weight, cost, and performance in
addition to generally having a much lower energy of production.

They are already widely used in the automotive industry for interior panels such as doors and trunk liners and are
expected to be incorporated into more components as their properties are improved. Bending and shear testing
are important because composite strength can vary depending on the direction that force is applied. Natural fiber
composites may also be more sensitive to humidity and temperature, so performing physical testing in thermal
chambers is necessary.

The AGX-V universal test frame offers the highest precision
and control for accurate evaluation of composite mechanical
properties. Specialized shear jigs are available to test the
force required to separate the fibers and layers within the
composites. Bending tests, performed on either a 3 or 4-point
bend fixture, measure the rigidity of a material and induce
both tensile and compressive forces to determine the force
that causes a material to rupture. For high-force testing of
cement, high-capacity hydraulic test frames are available.

120
110
100
90
80
Stress (N/mm 2 ) 60
70

50
3-point bending on a
40
Shimadzu Universal Testing
30
Machine
20
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Displacement (mm)
The image above shows the results of a 3-point bending test
performed on a composite material to determine flexural modulus.

Analytical & Testing Solutions for Industrial Hemp 9