The use of natural fibers and biobased resins in composite material applications has gained more attention as the need for reducing dependency on petroleum-derived products has increased. Natural fibers and biobased resins are potentially inexpensive, renewable resources capable of increasing the specific strength, specific stiffness, and damage tolerance of a variety of composites. In this study, a composite material for construction applications was produced from 60% renewable material and compared against a 100% synthetic counterpart, traditional plywood, and oriented strand board (OSB). Randomly oriented oilseed flax fiber mats were used to reinforce soybean oil-based rigid polyurethane (PU) foam through a compression molding process. To establish comparative material properties, flax fiber mat/soy-based PU foam composites were produced having similar fiber volume fraction with variation in foam densities and compared to a synthetic counterpart composed of rigid synthetic PU foam reinforced with random, continuous E-glass mat. Mechanical testing was performed to determine if the 60% renewable based composites could be competitive in the structural sheeting market against a 100% synthetic counterpart, plywood, and OSB. The dynamic response of the flax fiber/soy-based PU foam composites were also analyzed through the use of a low velocity drop tower apparatus to determine the damage tolerance of the composite with varying foam density.
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