Natural fibers are getting attention from researchers and academician to utilize in polymer composites due to their ecofriendly nature and sustainability. The aim of this review article is to provide a comprehensive review of the foremost appropriate as well as widely used natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFPCs) and their applications. In addition, it presents summary of various surface treatments applied to natural fibers and their effect on NFPCs properties. The properties of NFPCs vary with fiber type and fiber source as well as fiber structure. The effects of various chemical treatments on the mechanical and thermal properties of natural fibers reinforcements thermosetting and thermoplastics composites were studied. A number of drawbacks of NFPCs like higher water absorption, inferior fire resistance, and lower mechanical properties limited its applications. Impacts of chemical treatment on the water absorption, tribology, viscoelastic behavior, relaxation behavior, energy absorption flames retardancy, and biodegradability properties of NFPCs were also highlighted. The applications of NFPCs in automobile and construction industry and other applications are demonstrated. It concluded that chemical treatment of the natural fiber improved adhesion between the fiber surface and the polymer matrix which ultimately enhanced physicomechanical and thermochemical properties of the NFPCs.

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A Review on Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite and Its Applications

Bamboo fibre reinforced natural rubber composites were prepared by incorporation of different loadings of bamboo fibre. Two series of composites were studied i.e. composites with and without the presence of a bonding agent. The curing characteristics of the composites were determined and the composites were vulcanized at 150°C using a hot press. The properties of the composites such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, tear strength, elongation at break and hardness were studied. The adhesion between the bamboo fibre and the natural rubber were enhanced by the addition of bonding agent as exhibited by the tensile fracture surfaces of the composites using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of bonding agent also gave shorter curing time and enhanced mechanical properties.  2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Material Properties Bamboo fibre filled natural rubber composites: the effects of filler loading and bonding agent

Silica-reinforced tire tread compounds compatibilized by using epoxidized natural rubber

In recent years, researchers and scientists are facing problems in terms of environmental imbalance and global warming owing to numerous use of composite materials prepared by synthetic fibers and 

Tensile and flexural properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites: A review:

Eggshell calcium carbonate (ECC) and eggshell calcium carbonate treated with high temperature (ECC-600) were prepared from chicken eggshell waste. ECC was obtained by crushing eggshell waste, eliminating membranes and followed by sieving. In the case of ECC-600, ECC powder was additionally heated at 600 °C for 2 h. Both were used to promote as fillers compared to that of commercial light-precipitated calcium carbonate (commercial CaCO3) with various loading levels (i.e., 0, 25, 50 and 75 phr) in epoxidized natural rubber containing 25 mol% of epoxide group (ENR-25). Among the three types of fillers (i.e., ECC, ECC-600 and commercial CaCO3), ECC filled materials showed superior vulcanization characteristics by the increasing of maximum torque (MH) and cure rate index (CRI) with the reducing of cure time (tc90) and scorch time (ts2). The highest tensile properties as well as the lowest tension set value were also observed. Morphological property revealed that ECC was greater interfacial adhesion than those of others. In addition, dynamic mechanical properties of vulcanizates containing ECC, storage modulus (E′) was the highest and glass transition temperature (Tg) shifted toward high temperature. Increasing of loading levels of any fillers affected the increase of MH and CRI with reducing of tc90 and ts2. However, tensile properties decreased with increasing filler content but it did not affect Tg shifting except for a series of vulcanizates containing ECC.

A.A. Rashid

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Maleated natural rubber as a coupling agent for paper sludge filled natural rubber composites