Abstract
Hemp is one of the oldest non-food crops. It has also been important cellulose sources. The most usual purpose of hemp cultivation is to isolate the fibers from the bark for production of ropes, textiles and paper. This research presents the results of preparing a polymeric composite with improved properties based on natural rubber and hemp. The blend components were added in two different amounts of hemp. The samples have been processed by sulfur vulcanization and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were also used for characterization. The mechanical characteristics, rubber-fiber interactions and water uptake have been investigated depending on the hemp content. The values of hardness, tensile strength and tearing strength were affected by increasing the fiber concentration, compared with natural rubber sample. Results of water absorption tests showed that water uptake increased with the increase of fiber content and temperature. Interactions between the fibers and natural rubber have a significant effect on reinforcement properties. The SEM micrographs showed that the hemp fibers are uniformly distributed in the natural rubber matrix, as well.