Due to their abundance, high strength and stiffness, low weight and biodegradability, nano-scale cellulose fiber materials (e.g., microfibrillated cellulose and bacterial cellulose) serve as promising candidates for bio-nanocomposite production. Such new high-value materials are the subject of continuing research and are commercially interesting in terms of new products from the pulp and paper industry and the agricultural sector. Cellulose nanofibers can be extracted from various plant sources and, although the mechanical separation of plant fibers into smaller elementary constituents has typically required high energy input, chemical and/or enzymatic fiber pre-treatments have been developed to overcome this problem. A challenge associated with using nanocellulose in composites is the lack of compatibility with hydrophobic polymers and various chemical modification methods have been explored in order to address this hurdle. This review summarizes progress in nanocellulose preparation with a particular focus on microfibrillated cellulose and also discusses recent developments in bio-nanocomposite fabrication based on nanocellulose.

Microfibrillated cellulose and new nanocomposite materials: a review

Polymer blends and composites from renewable resources

Poly(lactic acid) modifications

This paper is a review on the tensile properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. Natural fibers have recently become attractive to researchers, engineers and scientists as an alternative reinforcement for fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Due to their low cost, fairly good mechanical properties, high specific strength, non-abrasive, eco-friendly and bio-degradability characteristics, they are exploited as a replacement for the conventional fiber, such as glass, aramid and carbon. The tensile properties of natural fiber reinforce polymers (both thermoplastics and thermosets) are mainly influenced by the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the fibers. Several chemical modifications are employed to improve the interfacial matrix–fiber bonding resulting in the enhancement of tensile properties of the composites. In general, the tensile strengths of the natural fiber reinforced polymer composites increase with fiber content, up to a maximum or optimum value, the value will then drop. However, the Young’s modulus of the natural fiber reinforced polymer composites increase with increasing fiber loading. Khoathane et al. [1] found that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of composites reinforced with bleached hemp fibers increased incredibly with increasing fiber loading. Mathematical modelling was also mentioned. It was discovered that the rule of mixture (ROM) predicted and experimental tensile strength of different natural fibers reinforced HDPE composites were very close to each other. Halpin–Tsai equation was found to be the most effective equation in predicting the Young’s modulus of composites containing different types of natural fibers.

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A review on the tensile properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites

Xiaofei Ma

Papers

Studies on the properties of natural fibers-reinforced thermoplastic starch composites

Fabrication and characterization of citric acid-modified starch nanoparticles/plasticized-starch composites.

Studies on the properties of Montmorillonite-reinforced thermoplastic starch composites

Properties of biodegradable thermoplastic pea starch/carboxymethyl cellulose and pea starch/microcrystalline cellulose composites

Preparation and characterization of glycerol plasticized-pea starch/ZnO-carboxymethylcellulose sodium nanocomposites.