Effect of accelerated ageing on the mechanical behaviour of basalt/hemp hybrid composites

The remarkable concerns related to environmentalpollution have triggered a lot of studies aimed atdecreasing the environmental impact of polymercomposites. A possible way to achieve this goal isthe replacement of glass fibres with natural ones.In particular, lignocellulosic fibres are ofconsiderable interest because they are renewableresources and are characterized by low cost, lowdensity, thermal and acoustic insulation,biodegradability and recyclability. Despite thesefavourable attributes, cellulosic fibre reinforcedcomposites do not provide mechanical propertiescomparable with those of glass fibre compositesand, most importantly, their susceptibility tomoisture absorption can significantly reduce theirdurability. A solution is the hybridization ofnatural fibres with synthetic ones characterized bysuperior ageing resistance. This approach hasbeen widely exploited in literature mainly withglass fibres [1]. In this paper, the use of mineralfibres, namely basalt fibres, is suggested as aneffective way to enhance the durability ofthermoplastic based composites reinforced withhemp fibres, with a view to broadening theapplications of natural fibre composites. Basaltfibres are natural fibres with mechanical, thermaland chemical properties comparable, if notsuperior, to those of glass fibres [2]. The effects ofbasalt hybridization on mechanical and thermalresponse of hemp/HDPE composites have beeninvestigated in terms of resistance to acceleratedageing tests for periods up to 56 days.