Natural Fiber Composite Materials Research Articles

Fostering sustainability: The environmental advantages of natural fiber composite materials – a mini review

In recent decades, natural fiber reinforced composites (NFRCs) have become an attractive substitute for conventional materials such as glass fiber and have attracted considerable interest from researchers and academics, particularly in the context of environmental protection. Environmental factors and their impact on the fundamental properties of renewable materials are becoming an increasingly popular area of study, particularly natural fibers and their composites. While this area of research is still expanding, natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites (NFRCs) have found widespread use in a variety of engineering contexts. Natural fibers (NFs) such as pineapple leaf (PALF), bamboo, abaca, coconut fibers, jute, banana, flax, hemp, sisal, kenaf, and others have many desirable properties, but their development and use present researchers with a number of obstacles. These fibers have attracted attention due to their various advantageous properties, such as lightness, economy, biodegradability, remarkable specific strength, and competitive mechanical properties, which make them promising candidates for use as biomaterials. As a result, they can serve as alternative materials to traditional composite fibers such as glass, aramid, and carbon in various applications. In addition, natural fibers have attracted the interest of an increasing number of researchers because they are readily available in nature and as by-products of agricultural and food systems, contributing to the improvement of the environmental ecosystem. This interest coincides with the search for environmentally friendly materials to replace synthetic fibers used in the construction, automotive, and packaging industries. The use of natural fibers is not only logical but also practical, as their fibrous form can be easily extracted and strengthened by chemical, physical, or enzymatic treatments. This article provides a brief overview of NFRCs, looking at their chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. It also highlights some of the significant advances associated with NFRCs from an economic, environmental, and sustainability perspective. Additionally, it provides a concise discussion of their diverse applications, all with a focus on their positive impact on the environment.

천연섬유 열가소성 복합재료 제조 및 특성 연구

In this study, a natural fiber thermoplastic composite material was prepared by applying the natural fibers jute and kenaf as reinforcement materials and polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which are thermoplastic resins, as matrix materials. The natural fibers were surface-treated to activate the interface between them and the thermoplastic resins. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis of the thermoplastic resins was performed to apply the hot-pressing process, and changes in hot-pressing process conditions were observed. The tensile and bending strengths as well as moisture absorption rate of the composite materials to which jute and kenaf were applied were compared and analyzed to confirm the possibility of replacing the glass fiber composite with the natural fiber composite for use as a small-ship material. In addition, for application to ship decks, a sandwich-structured composite material was manufactured and analyzed by applying polyvinyl chloride foam to the natural fiber composite material.

Mechanical (static and dynamic) characterization and thermal stability of hybrid green composites for engineering applications

The development of sustainability in industry has made it imperative to utilize waste and accessible natural resources properly. Our goal is to transform the naturally occurring resources, tamarind seed powder (TSP), eelgrass (EG), and adamant creeper (AC), into goods that are beneficial to society. In this study, different weight proportions of alkali-treated AC, EG, and TSP were combined to make hybrid natural fiber (NF) composite materials using the hand layup process. The material strength of the alkali treated (15% AC, 20% EG, and 15% TSP) composite sample was attained 211 MPa, 278 MPa, 21.7 J/m2, and 84.6 for tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness in that sequence. The storage modulus, loss modulus, and mechanical loss factor were measured and plotted against temperature in a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) experiment. All composites had higher storage and loss moduli and a lower mechanical loss factor, indicating more elastic properties. The findings demonstrated that adding fiber-filled TSP fillers tended to make the epoxy matrix more viscoelastic stiffness. As the weight percentage of fibers in the composite increases, discernible changes in the structural damping capacity have also been noticed. The thermal characteristics of composites were inspected by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the TGA outcomes substantiated that the thermal constancy of a 20% EG-reinforced composite was good. The mechanical, dynamic, and thermal qualities of this composite material will yield significant benefits for the industrial sector.

Utilization of Bamboo Roots as Reinforcing Composite Materials for Light Vehicle Dashboards

Bamboo roots are residual material from the utilization of bamboo trees’ waste. Bamboo roots utilize in engineering by making new materials in the form of composites. Bamboo roots are easy to get, and getting bamboo root fiber is relatively easy compared to getting bamboo stem fiber. Bamboo root fibers are used as reinforcement in composites with resin binders and catalysts as hardeners. The composite made by mixing the composition consists of 10% bamboo root fiber, 89% resin, and 1% catalyst from the weight of the specimen. This composition uses three variations of fiber direction; straight, random, and woven fiber—each variation tests tensile strength, impact, and bending strength. Those three test results show that the highest values come from the woven fiber, which are 21.04 MPa from the tensile strength, 0.0693 J/mm2 from the impact value, and 34.789 MPa from the bending strength value. The test result found that applying bamboo roots composite material suits dashboard material for light vehicles (cars and motorcycles). This test result meets the standard material for dashboard vehicles based on plastic material data ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). This research on natural fiber composite material is novel and valuable as a waste utilization solution for engineering materials.

The effect of porcelain filler particulates madar fiber reinforced epoxy composite – A comprehensive study for biomedical applications

Environmental consciousness motivates scientists to devise an alternative method for producing natural fiber composite materials in order to decrease the demand for synthetic fibers. This study explores the potential of a novel composite material derived from madar fiber-reinforced epoxy with porcelain filler particulates, designed specifically for biomedical instrumentation applications. The primary focus is to assess the material's structural, mechanical, and antibacterial properties. X-ray Diffraction analysis was employed to discern the crystalline nature of the composite, revealing enhanced crystallinity due to the inclusion of porcelain particulates. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the chemical interactions and bonding mechanisms between madar fiber, epoxy matrix, and porcelain filler. Mechanically, the composite exhibited superior properties when addition of porcelain fillers, maximum results obtain in tensile strength of 51.28 MPa, flexural strength of 54.21 MPa, and impact strength of 0.0155 kJ/m2, making it ideal for robust biomedical applications. Scanning Electron Microscopy provided detailed insights into the morphology and distribution of the reinforcing agents within the epoxy matrix, emphasizing the fibrillated structure of madar fiber and the uniform dispersion of porcelain particulates. Importantly, antibacterial assays demonstrated the composite's potential resistance against common pathogenic bacteria, which is crucial for biomedical instrumentation. Collectively, this research underscores the promising attributes of the madar fiber reinforced epoxy composite with porcelain particulates, suggesting its suitability for advanced biomedical applications.

Impact and Compression Behavior of Habesha Moringa/Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

ABSTRACT Nowadays, synthetic fiber composites are in decline because of their high initial cost and detrimental impact on the environment. The main aim of this work is to develop natural fiber composite materials that are made from moringa and bamboo fibers by using the hand lay-up method by maintaining a constant 40 vol.% of epoxy content. Both the natural composites were treated with NaOH and also compared with their hybrid composite. The mechanical properties, such as compression, hardness, impact, tensile, flexural properties were investigated. Additionally, thermo gravimetric analysis of composites was also carried out. The biggest boost in compressive strength was seen in bamboo with 60% volume, with improvements ranging from a pure resin value of 13.06 to 68.43% compared to moringa 60% and 30–30% moringa-bamboo. The maximum rise in impact strength was recorded by BM-30/30 at 21J. In addition to this, the highest hardness value was observed by moringa-reinforced composites (MM-60) and noted to be around 40.83 HV. Tensile and flexural properties of all the composites reveal improvement as compared with neat epoxy composites. Bamboo exhibits a considerable improvement in thermal stability as compared with other compositions. Scanning electron micrographs were used to analyze the structure-property correlations.

Green Polymer Composites for Aerospace Engineering Applications : A Review

In the last decade, Study on the use of natural fibers as synthetic substitute materials or green polymer composites is growing. The growth of green polymer composites has had a significant impact on polymer composite research and innovation. This rapid growth provides advantages over low-cost synthetic fiber composites and reduces adverse impacts on the environment. Because of its potential, this material is applied in various engineering fields, including in the aerospace engineering.
 In recent years, various improvements have been made to natural fiber composite materials to improve physical, mechanical and chemical properties. The aim of this review is to highlight trends in the use of natural fiber polymer composites applied to the aerospace engineering. This review article explains the latest research activities regarding green polymer composite fabrication, advantages of green polymer composites, and applications in the aerospace engineering

Comparing non-biodegradable plastic with environmentally friendly natural fibre composite on car front bumpers design

Production of plastic is growing, and plastics are used in a variety of products. However, plastics are not biodegradable and do not decompose easily. To overcome the problems in decomposition of plastics, the use of a specific type of natural fibre composite (NFC) material for front-bumper in cars is considered in this investigation. NFCs have the advantages of being environmentally friendly, light weight and high strength. The use of jute fibre is adopted for the design of a car front bumper and compared with the plastic bumper through Finite Element Analysis. The aim is to identify their performances in terms of impact energy, strength and resilience. The results show that when both materials were simulated under the same impact force, jute fibre has a lower equivalent stress with 177.1 MPa compare with 293.18 MPa on plastic material. This finding indicates that jute fibre has greater yield limit and more resilient to fracture. The simulation result also shows that jute fibre has a higher equivalent stress of 65.55 MPa on the front bumper compare with a lower equivalent stress of 39.94 MPa on plastic. This suggests that plastic material will yield soon when an impact force is higher. The total deformation after the same impact force in jute fibre is 2.1 mm, which is significantly less than the deformation in plastic with 11.7 mm. Therefore, this research concludes that jute fibre can potentially replace plastic as a green composite material application to minimise environmental damages.Graphical abstract

Natural Fiber Composite Filaments for Additive Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Review

This research explores the potential and significance of 3D printing natural fiber composite (NFC) materials. The primary objective is to investigate the mechanical, thermal, and environmental properties of NFC filaments, mainly focusing on biodegradable, renewable fibers such as jute, hemp, flax, and kenaf. In addition to studying the properties of NFCs, our research delves into the challenges associated with processing, including moisture absorption and fiber-matrix interfacial bonding. The novelty of this work lies in the convergence of traditional composite materials with the versatility of 3D printing technology. NFC filaments offer unique advantages in terms of sustainability, and we examine their potential contributions to the circular economy. By using eco-friendly NFC materials in 3D printing, we aim to present a viable, environmentally responsible alternative to conventional synthetic composites. The importance of 3D printing NFCs stems from the ways their use can align with sustainability goals. These materials provide the advantages of renewability, reduced carbon impact, and in some cases, biodegradability. Their applications extend to various industries, such as automotive, construction, and packaging, where eco-friendly materials are increasingly sought. Such applications showcase the ways in which NFC-based 3D printing can contribute to a more environmentally responsible and sustainable future. This research explores the mechanical, thermal, and environmental properties of NFC materials, highlighting their unique advantages for 3D printing and the potential to have eco-friendly applications in diverse industries.

Tribological, mechanical, and metallurgical performance of natural fiber-reinforced composites: A comprehensive review

Composite materials have an ever-increasing demand for their application in numerous applications such as aerospace, automobile, petroleum, etc. These materials vary according to their chemical composition, properties, manufacturing techniques, etc. Natural fiber-reinforced composites are the composites where natural fibers such as plant, animal, and mineral fibers are used as reinforcement material. Reinforcement of these fibers yields composite material with extensive properties such as high strength, durability, reliability, etc. These properties lead them to commercial applications in several areas. Therefore, this paper describes various characteristics of the matrix, reinforcement, and resin used for natural fiber composite materials. Also, multiple parameters that affect the growth of these composites are investigated. The tribological behavior of natural fiber composites is focused mainly on friction, wear, and lubrication. Furthermore, the material's mechanical performance and metallurgical behavior are also given significant importance. These materials’ application in various fields is explored separately, and multiple conclusions are drawn.

A Comprehensive Review of Real-time Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Techniques: Revolutionizing Natural Fibre Composite Materials Maintenance with IoT

Integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites (NFPCs) can revolutionize monitoring and maintaining composites. By incorporating sensors and wireless communication technology into the composites, real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance can be achieved. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in the use of IoT for real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance of NFPCs. This paper covers the various types of sensors used, IoT networks and protocols employed, and data analysis techniques to detect potential issues and predict failures. This paper also highlights the benefits and challenges of using IoT for composite maintenance and this technology’s future directions and potential applications. This review provides valuable insights for researchers, engineers, and practitioners in composites, the IoT, and predictive maintenance.

Synthesis of a New Natural Fiber Composite Material Based on Human Hair and Coir Fibers

Human hair, with its high strength-to-weight ratio, can replace expensive materials like glass fibers in composite materials. We developed a novel natural fiber composite material by mixing human hair and coir fibers with polyester resin. To investigate its mechanical properties, the new material was tested for bending strength, impact strength, and water absorption. The specimen IL3, with human hair and coir in a 3:2 ratio, showed a maximum impact strength of 13.174 kJ/m2. The developed material was almost completely water resistant with a maximum water absorption of only 2.13% in the WCH1 specimen. Fiber content, not orientation, was determined with water resistance. The maximum flexural strength obtained was 36.270 MPa. Investigation results showed that relative volume percentage of fibrous materials, fiber orientation, and aspect ratio affected natural fiber composite properties. After repeated testing on specimens of different compositions and fiber orientations, the best specimens were identified for future usage. The substance is biodegradable and eco-friendly.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON FLEXURAL STRENGTH AND FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF HYBRID HEMP AND E-GLASS COMPOSITES

Natural fiber composite materials are grabbing the attention of industries due its eco-friendly and sustainability. These are effectively replacing many of metals and ceramic comprised components in termsof accessibility, cost, strength and weight. The study of a material to resist a load which is having cracks internally is the important parameter, this which internally describes the fracture toughness of a material. Understanding of flexural strength (bending strength) helps to avoid the internal de-lamination. In this research a composite specimen is prepared using a naturally available hemp fiber along with commercially available E-glass. Traditional hand layup fabrication method is used to prepare the composite specimens. Fracture test specimen is prepared according to ASTM E399 and the flexural (bending) specimen is developed according to ASTM D790. The fracture toughness of the hemp/E-glass composite has with stand a critical load of 1192N with a yield stress of 50MPa. The fracture toughness strength up to 11.77MPa can be with stand by the composite specimen. Fracture toughness increases with respect to the alignment. Orientation of fibers increases the strength. Bending strength resist by the composite laminate is about 4.8MPa and this will be decreased due the improper bonding between the layers. SEM test helps to identify the reasons for failure

Influence of fibre on mechanical behavior of Ramie fibre /polystyrene hybrid composite

Natural fibre composites are now commonly regarded as a reinforcing component in polymer matrix composites. For their biodegradability, less density, and higher specific characteristics, polymer matrix-reinforced natural fibre composite materials are commonly employed in industry. The tensile characteristics of Ramie fibre woven fabrics and Polystyrene (PS) composite laminates were investigated and impact tests, to examine how the volume percentage of the fibre influenced them. In the beginning, the thermal-compression method was used to create composite laminates with varying fibre volume fractions by layering different fabrics. The mechanical characteristics of material are determined by conducting tensile, shear and biaxial tensile testing. Additionally, an effect hammer testing was done to determine the frequencies as well as restraining properties of stratified composite structures. The viscoelastic behavior of Ramie fabrics/PS composite laminates changes to elastic as the volume percentage of the fibres increases. Tensile strength is enhanced by increasing fibre content. On the other hand, the increased fibre volume has an effect on the natural frequency and damping ratio.

Effect of Surface Modification on the Impact Strength and Hardness of Areca Husk Fibre Reinforced Polyester Resin Composite

Reinforced natural fibre composite materials are attracting greater attention in the area of material engineering due to their low density, low cost and higher mechanical strength. In the present study, the Areca Husk Fiber (AHF) was extracted through the retting process. The surface modification of AHF was done by chemical treatments such as mercerization, potassium permanganate treatment, benzoylation, acrylation and acetylation. The surface modification was studied through FE-SEM imaging. The composites of surface modified AHF reinforced polyester resin composites were prepared as per ASTM standards using polyester resin as matrix material and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) as hardener. The Izod-Charpy impact strength, Hardness (Shore-) hardness analysis was carried out to study the mechanical behaviour of the composites. The results showed that surface modification of AHF can enhance the impact strength of the composite materials but not the hardness of the composites.

Assessment of mechanical properties of flax fiber reinforced with Delrin polymer composite

In the material industry, composites are sought after as more affordable and environmentally friendly materials, they play a vital role. Fiber-reinforced polymer composites exhibit excellent mechanical and tribological properties. One of the natural fibers that are both lightweight and biodegradable is flax. However, the mechanical qualities of natural fiber lag behind those of synthetic fiber. To enhance the structural or mechanical application of hybridization, it is therefore important to study the mechanical properties of natural fiber. The mechanical characteristics of natural flax fibre composite materials reinforced with Delrin matrix material are the foundation of the current review. In this work, static mechanical tests like tensile, impact testing and dynamic mechanical tests like wear test, Shore ‘D’ hardness, flexural and compression properties are evaluated for the Delrin as the matrix and the chopped flax fiber as the reinforcement. Measured mechanical test results showed an incremental increase with the addition flax/Delrin. According to the finding’s, non-reinforced epoxy has inferior characteristics to Flax + Delrin composite materials. Making hybrid composites out of natural fiber and Delrin in the future could bring in a new era for composite materials. This improves the performance and degrading life of composite.

Influence of the Compression Molding Temperature on VOCs and Odors Produced from Natural Fiber Composite Materials

In the automotive sector, the use of nonwoven preforms consisting of natural and thermoplastic fibers processed by compression molding is well known to manufacture vehicle interior parts. Although these natural fiber composites (NFCs) have undeniable advantages (lightweight, good life cycle assessment, recyclability, etc.), the latter release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odors inside the vehicle interior, which remain obstacles to their wide deployment. In this study, the effect of the compressing molding temperature on the VOCs and odors released by the flax/PP nonwoven composites was examined by heating nonwoven preforms in a temperature range up to 240 °C. During the hot-pressing process, real-time and in situ monitoring of the composite materials’ core temperature has been carried out using a thermocouples sensor. A chemical approach based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for the VOCs analysis. The olfactory approach is based on the odor intensity scale rated by expert panelists trained in olfaction. The results demonstrate marked changes in the VOCs composition with temperature, thus making it possible to understand the changes in the NFCs odor intensity. The results allow for optimizing the molding temperature to obtain less odorous NFC materials.

Pengaruh Fraksi Volume Terhadap Kekuatan Tarik Pada Serat Resam Menggunakan Resin Polyester BQTN-EX

Along with the times, the technology of utilizing natural fiber composite materials has developed, including in the field of engineering materials. One of them is natural fiber. This resam plant is easy to get because it is used in almost all corners of Indonesia, including the Bangka Belitung province because it is easy to process, and has stem content and stem size. The purpose of this study was to determine the best value for the effect of volume fraction on the tensile test of resam fiber composite materials. This study used a volume fraction variant of 10%, 15% and 20% by immersion in NaOH for 30, 60 and 90 minutes. The highest average results were obtained from the tensile test obtained from the 15% volume fraction with 60 minutes of NaOH immersion and the lowest average values were obtained from the 15% volume fraction with 90 minutes of NaOH immersion. From the research results obtained, it was concluded that the average value and variance of the tensile strength of resam fiber was found at the level 2 immersion time factor, which was for 60 minutes and the level 2 volume fraction factor, which was 15%. volume fraction, the most optimal.

Potential of natural fiber composite materials for bulletproof vest applications

The bulletproof vest material that is often used is a composite material. Composites are a mixture of two or more material elements, with different mechanical properties, which aim to obtain new materials that have better mechanical properties than the constituent materials. One alternative mixture of materials in composite materials is to use natural fibers as a substitute for kevlar fibers. In Indonesia, which has a tropical climate, natural fibers are very easy to obtain from various kinds of plants found in Indonesia. Along with the many plants obtained, a lot of waste is also produced because of this. So research was conducted on the utilization of the potential of natural fibers for alternative composites. With the experimental method, from the results of the experiment, the results obtained from the five natural fibers that have been discussed, namely pineapple leaf fiber, water hyacinth fiber, bark fiber, hemp fiber, and bamboo fiber, only pineapple leaf fiber has not met the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standard, while the other four natural fibers have met the NIJ standard for bulletproof vests.

A comprehensive review of natural fiber reinforced composite and their modern application

The industrial sector heavily depends on materials. According to the Kyoto Protocol, enterprises are becoming more and more interested in obtaining carbon credits through lowering air pollution. Therefore, green composite materials must be used in place of conventional materials to complete the carbon credit. Natural fiber-reinforced composite materials are now widely utilized in contemporary industrial sectors for example sports, automotive, medicine, aerospace, electronics, food packaging, and energy storage where engineered heterogeneity has been developed and utilized to achieve specific engineering functions. Because of its exceptional mix of thermal, mechanical, and dielectric qualities as well as environmental benefits including renewability and biodegradability, natural cellulosic fiber composite materials are becoming more and more popular for a variety of industrial applications. Natural cellulosic fiber-reinforced composite mechanical and thermal properties as well as for natural fibers mechanical properties and thermal properties also interpreted in this article.