Development of Flax Fiber/Soy-Based Polyurethane Composites for Mass Transit Flooring Application

In this study, soy-based polyurethane foam was reinforced with randomly oriented flax fiber to create green composite paneling. This paneling can be used as replacement for plywood in mass transit flooring. To establish optimal material properties, the flax/foam composite's density was modified through manipulation of both fiber volume fraction and foam void content in order to determine processing modification upon mechanical performance. Both static flexural testing and dynamic low velocity impact were performed. Mechanical characterization was performed by both flexural testing and screw fastener pullout studies. Resultant properties demonstrate the feasibility of lower maintenance renewable composite materials as replacement for current transit flooring.