Use of a fully biobased and non-reprotoxic epoxy polymer and woven hemp fabric to prepare environmentally friendly composite materials with excellent physical properties

International audienceIn the future, materials will need to be biobased and produced sustainably without compromising mechanical properties. To date, in many cases, the advantages of the bio-origin of the raw material are overridden by the environmental impact of the process. In the present study, we have developed a novel composite material basedon woven hemp fabric which reinforce a thermoset polymer produced from birch bark, a low-value forestry byproduct. Results show that this fully biobased composite has specific stiffness and strength equivalent to those of flax fibre-reinforced petroleum-based epoxy composites and slightly lower than glass fibre-reinforced petroleum-based epoxy composites. The sustainability of the material was also evaluated by life-cycle assessment from cradle to gate and showedsignificantly superior performance with respect to the potentialglobal warming impact than commercial benchmark materials.Furthermore, toxicology studies showed no endocrine disruptiveactivities. This is an important proof of concept studydemonstrating that biobased structural materials can be producedsustainably