Abstract
Natural fiber composites (NFCs) are an evolving area in polymer sciences. Fibers extracted from natural sources hold a wide set of advantages such as negligible cost, significant mechanical characteristics, low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, environmental friendliness, recyclability, etc. Luffa cylindrica, also termed luffa gourd or luffa sponge, is a natural fiber that has a solid potential to replace synthetic fibers in composite materials in diverse applications like vibration isolation, sound absorption, packaging, etc. Recently, many researches have involved luffa fibers as a reinforcement in the development of NFC, aiming to investigate their performance in selected matrices as well as the behavior of the end NFC. This paper presents a review on recent developments in luffa natural fiber composites. Physical, morphological, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and acoustic properties of luffa NFCs are investigated, categorized, and compared, taking into consideration selected matrices as well as the size, volume fraction, and treatments of fibers. Although luffa natural fiber composites have revealed promising properties, the addition of these natural fibers increases water absorption. Moreover, chemical treatments with different agents such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and benzoyl can remarkably enhance the surface area of luffa fibers, remove undesirable impurities, and reduce water uptake, thereby improving their overall characteristics. Hybridization of luffa NFC with other natural or synthetic fibers, e.g., glass, carbon, ceramic, flax, jute, etc., can enhance the properties of the end composite material. However, luffa fibers have exhibited a profuse compatibility with epoxy matrix.
Highlights
Fiber-reinforced composites are becoming significantly popular in various engineering fields due to their low density as well as their remarkable mechanical characteristics
Developing a new natural fiber composite like LNFC is critical in terms of its physical characteristics [117,118]; for example, its density should be compared with materials from the same category, its thickness swelling has to be inspected in order to define its dimensional stability, and most importantly, as a natural fiber composite, its water absorption must be examined since it may lead to a drastic property degradation
In terms of the mechanical behavior of LNFCs, the highest mechanical properties were observed through selecting epoxy resin as a matrix, for example, the highest tensile strength of 226 MPa, flexural strength of 115 MPa, compressive strength of 107 MPa, and hardness of 98 RHN
Summary
Fiber-reinforced composites are becoming significantly popular in various engineering fields due to their low density as well as their remarkable mechanical characteristics. Luffa and Its Composite Materials Luffa is a category of the Cucurbitaceae family (cucumber), its ripe fruits are utilized as natural cleaning sLpuofnfagiessa, wcahteigleoriytsoifmthmeaCtucruerfbriutaitcseaaerefacmoinlysu(cmuceudmabsevr)e,gitestraibpleefsr.uIitsisarsepuretialidzefdroams nsaoturtahl Asia to easctleaannidngcespnotrnagleAs, swiah.ileLiutsffiamvmeagtuertaebfrlueistsaarreewcoindseusmpreedaads vinegVetiaebtnleasm. It aisnsdprCeahdinfrao.mFsigouutrheA2sisahows the mtoateuarset alundffacefnrturaitl Aansida.iLtsuffifabevregsettraubclteus raer.e wLuidffeaspfirebaedrsincoVmietpnraimseasnidgnCihfiicnaan. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/alkaline treatment evidenced its capability in improving luffa fibers’ microstructure by changing its chemical composition as well as removing all impurities [49,59,60,61,62,63,70].
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