Fabrication of Natural Fiber Composites Consisting of Osage Orange Seed flour Reinforced with Non-woven Hemp Mats

Natural fiber composites (NFC) were fabricated using a matrix consisting of an aqueous slurry of Osage orange (Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid. family Moraceae) seed meal (OOSM) (50, 75 or 100 g L− 1) reinforced with non-woven hemp mats (450, 650, 800, 1000, 1200, or 1350 g m− 2 surface densities). OOSM behaves as a thermoset adhesive/resin similar to soy flours. Non-woven mats of 7.6 cm W × 17.8 cm L of various surface densities were soaked in aqueous slurries for 30 min under vacuum and then directly hot pressed at 185 °C and 4.3 MPa for 4:30 min. NFCs matrix:reinforcement percentages varied depending on the surface density of the hemp mat employed. NFCs were evaluated for their mechanical, physical and dimensional stability properties. The OOSM slurry matrix was found to be as effective as matrices generated from soy flour or soy protein isolate slurries. The influence of various temperatures for processing was also evaluated.