Hemp Fiber Composites: A Sustainable Challenger to Glass Fiber in Aerospace Sandwich Structures

Sandwich panels are essential components in aeronautics due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and structural stability. Yet, their performance can be compromised by degradation mechanisms at both macroscopic and nanoscale, necessitating a deep understanding of their behavior under intense loading to prevent catastrophic failure. The objective of this study was to experimentally determine whether hemp fiber composites can serve as a sustainable challenger to well-established glass fiber (E‑glass and S-glass) in aircraft sandwich structures with a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam core. Composite panels with a constant 25 mm core thickness were fabricated by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). A series of mechanical tests were conducted, including three-point bending, flatwise compression testing, and low-velocity impact tests. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nondestructive testing, flammability test, and seawater moisture absorption tests were utilized. The findings demonstrated that hemp fiber composites are competent materials for specific aerospace components, establishing their role as a sustainable challenger in the aircraft sector.