Chapter Five - Recent research and developments in hybrid natural fiber composites

Abstract

Hybrid composites present unique features that meet various design requirements more efficiently and more economically than conventional composites, offering advantages such as high strength and stiffness, increased fatigue and impact resistance, among others. Ever-increasing demands for sustainability and ecologically friendly products have considerably amplified the academic and industrial interest in natural fibers in the last decades. Natural fibers, owing to their intrinsic low density, present excellent physical and mechanical specific properties. Natural fiber-based composites also reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint, as well as energy consumption and fabrication expenses. However, they also present lower durability, high moisture absorption, and lower strength as compared to synthetic fiber composites. The hybridization of different natural fibers or natural fibers with synthetic fibers (or particles) can mitigate these problems, as the advantages of one type of fiber can compensate for the disadvantages of the other. This chapter presents the recent research and developments on hybrid natural fiber composites, regarding different types of hybridization and their particularities. The hybridization of two or more natural fibers, natural and synthetic fibers, as well as fibers (natural or synthetic) and particles, are discussed, focusing on the advantages and drawbacks of theses strategies on the mechanical properties of composite materials.