Bio-based composites: do we need to re-think our characterisation techniques?

The world needs new high-performance substitutes and alternatives to unsustainable (largely oil-based) materials. Bio-based protein composites show promise because they can be designed to be both environmentally friendly and functional. Characterisation of novel materials is underpinned by the materials science paradigm that properties are a result of structure which is itself a result of material processing. Certain material properties such as tensile strength and elasticity can be assessed with common materials engineering instrumentation and standards. However, application-specific testing is often less straightforward and can involve the creation of novel analyses or adaptation of testing protocols. Here we report the approach we developed to adapting standard material science characterisation methods to a bio-based composite.