A novel flexible biocomposite with hemp woven fabric and natural rubber based on lignin green filler: investigation numerical and experimental under high-velocity impact

In this study, the comparison of the behavior of hemp/elastomeric biocomposites based on lignin and carbon black has been investigated experimentally and numerically under the influence of high speed. SEM images confirmed the dispersion and good interaction of lignin in natural rubber with a uniform surface coverage of fibers and the gap of yarns. The results of tensile and dynamic compression tests showed that elastomer with lignin filler improves tensile strength for rubber samples and composites compared to carbon black. The high-velocity impact tests were performed on single-layer and three-layer composites based on lignin and carbon. The penetration resistance and failure mechanism of the composites during impact were validated using a constitutive material model for hemp fabric and a user-defined material model (VUMAT) for the nonlinear behavior of rubber materials with a damage criterion in ABAQUS/Explicit. For one-layer and three-layer flexible composites based on lignin, the ballistic limit is 49 and 96 m s-1, respectively. Compared to carbon-based composites, it has increased by 11.36 and 13% for one-layer and three-layers, respectively. Using the dilute matrix to cover hemp fabric increases the resistance of this type of fabric against high-speed impact. Through tensile failure, the stress is transferred to the surrounding fiber bundles so that more threads can participate in the load-bearing process. As a result, the penetration depth in lignin-based composites is lower, and the protective margin is greater, which increases energy absorption.