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

In recent years, the use of flax fibres as reinforcement in composites has gained popularity due to an increasing requirement for developing sustainable materials. Flax fibres are cost-effective and offer specific mechanical properties comparable to those of glass fibres. Composites made of flax fibres with thermoplastic, thermoset, and biodegradable matrices have exhibited good mechanical properties. This review presents a summary of recent developments of flax fibre and its composites. Firstly, the fibre structure, mechanical properties, cost, the effect of various parameters (i.e. relative humidity, various physical/chemical treatments, gauge length, fibre diameter, fibre location in a stem, oleaginous, mechanical defects such as kink bands) on tensile properties of flax fibre have been reviewed. Secondly, the effect of fibre configuration (i.e. in forms of fabric, mat, yarn, roving and monofilament), manufacturing processes, fibre volume, and fibre/matrix interface parameters on the mechanical properties of flax fibre reinforced composites have been reviewed. Next, the studies of life cycle assessment and durability investigation of flax fibre reinforced composites have been reviewed.

Flax fibre and its composites – A review

Characterization and Properties of Natural Fiber Polymer Composites: A Comprehensive Review

In recent years, both industrial and academic world are focussing their attention toward the development of sustainable composites, reinforced with natural fibres. In particular, among the natural fibres (i.e. animal, vegetable or mineral) that can be used as reinforcement, the basalt ones represent the most interesting for their properties. The aim of this review is to illustrate the results of research on this topical subject. In the introduction, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of basalt fibre have been reviewed. Moreover, its main manufacturing technologies have been described. Then, the effect of using this mineral fibre as reinforcement of different matrices as polymer (both thermoplastic and thermoset), metal and concrete has been presented. Furthermore, an overview on the application of this fibre in biodegradable matrix composites and in hybrid composites has been provided. Finally, the studies on the industrial applications of basalt fibre reinforced composites have been reviewed.

A review on basalt fibre and its composites

The use of supercritical carbon dioxide as a processing solvent for the physical processing of polymeric materials is reviewed. Fundamental properties of CO2/polymer systems are discussed with an emphasis on available data and measurement techniques, the development of theory or models for a particular property, and an evaluation of the current state of understanding for that property. Applications such as impregnation, particle formation, foaming, blending, and injection molding are described in detail including practical operating information for selected topics. The review concludes with some forward-looking discussion on the future of CO2 in polymer processing.

A Review of CO2 Applications in the Processing of Polymers

In this work, kenaf fibers were pre-treated in a NaOH solution (6% in weight) at room temperature for two different periods (48 and 144 h). The chemical treatment of kenaf fibers for 48 h allowed to clean their surface removing each impurity whereas 144 h of immersion time had detrimental effect on the fibers surface and, consequently, on their mechanical properties. Untreated and NaOH treated kenaf fibers (i.e. for 48 h) were also used as reinforcing agent of epoxy resin composites. The effect of the stacking sequence (i.e. using unidirectional long fibers or randomly oriented short fibers) and the chemical treatment on the static mechanical properties was evaluated showing that the composites exhibit higher moduli in comparison to the neat resin. As regards the strength properties, only the composites reinforced with unidirectional layers show higher strength than the neat resin. Moreover, the alkali treatment increased the mechanical properties of the composites, due to the improvement of fiber–matrix compatibility. The dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the storage and the loss moduli are mainly influenced by the alkali treatment above the glass transition temperature. Moreover, the alkali treatment led to a notable reduction of tan  δ peaks in addition to significant shifts of tan  δ peaks to higher temperatures whereas the stacking sequence did not influence the trends of storage modulus, loss modulus and damping of the composites.

The effect of alkaline treatment on mechanical properties of kenaf fibers and their epoxy composites

Glass–basalt/epoxy hybrid composites for marine applications

https://iris.unipa.it/bitstream/10447/63658/1/2011dppv.pdf

Antonino Valenza

Papers

A review on basalt fibre and its composites

The effect of alkaline treatment on mechanical properties of kenaf fibers and their epoxy composites

Glass–basalt/epoxy hybrid composites for marine applications

Visco-elastic behavior through fractional calculus: An easier method for best fitting experimental results

Characterization of a new natural fiber from Arundo donax L. as potential reinforcement of polymer composites