Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites: history, types, advantages and applications

Nowadays, the use of natural fiber reinforced polymer-based composites is gradually increasing day by day for their many advantages for civil engineering construction applications. Due to their many advantages for polymer-based composite materials are widely used in civil construction, automobiles, aerospace, and many others. Natural fibers such as jute, kenaf, pineapple, sugarcane, hemp, oil palm, flax, and leaf, etc. are cheap, environmentally friendly, renewable, completely and partially biodegradable which can be utilized to obtain new high-performance polymer materials. These composites are having satisfactory mechanical properties (i.e. tensile properties, flexural stress-strain behavior, fracture toughness, and fracture strength) which make them more attractive than other composites. Due to easy availability and renewability, natural fibers can be used as an alternative of synthetic fibers as a reinforcing agent. The aim of this paper is to review different natural fibers reinforced based polymer composites with mechanical characterization, applications, also shows the opportunities, challenges and future demand of natural composite material towards civil applications.

A brief review on natural fiber used as a replacement of synthetic fiber in polymer composites

The use of composites in different sectors has become inevitable due to the enhancement in properties, reduction in the manufacturing cost and suitability to several applications. Among different classifications, polymeric composites are mainly focused on their use as structural components and the selection and composition of reinforcement play a vital role in determining the characteristics of the composite. Although composites are developed with man-made reinforcement in the beginning stage, in the present situation, natural reinforcements have proved excellent results in terms of properties. Hence, nowadays researches are mainly focused on the use of different natural fibers in different forms as reinforcements in polymeric composite. This work presents a brief overview on the properties of natural fiber and natural fiber reinforced composites which is an emerging area in polymer science. Interests in natural fiber is reasonable due to the advantages of these materials compared to others, such as synthetic fiber composites, including low environmental impact and low cost and support their potential to be used. Moreover, the disadvantage of the synthetic and fiber-glass as reinforcement, the use of natural fiber reinforced composite gained the attention of the young scientists, researchers, and engineers and are being exploited as a replacement for the conventional fiber such as glass, aramid, carbon etc. Natural fibers have been proven alternative to synthetic fiber in transportation such as automobiles, railway coaches and aerospace, military, building, packaging, consumer products and construction industries for ceiling paneling, partition boards etc. However, in development of these composites, some drawbacks have also emerged. In this paper, it has been tried to overview all of this together.

Applications of Natural Fibers and Its Composites: An Overview

In the present scenario, there has been a rapid attention in research and development in the natural fiber composite field due to its better formability, abundant, renewable, cost-effective and eco-friendly features. This paper exhibits an outline on natural fibers and its composites utilized as a part of different commercial and engineering applications. In this review, many articles were related to applications of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. It helps to provide details about the potential use of natural fibers and its composite materials, mechanical and physical properties and some of their applications in engineering sectors.

Reinforcement of Plastic Waste with Treated Natural Fibers

Plastic wastes are a major environmental concern that needs to be dealt with to minimize the amount of municipal solid waste and depletion of natural resources thus enhancing the sustainability concept for future generations. The objective of this study is to enhance the properties of plastic products using plastic wastes reinforced with treated natural fibers such as rice straw as well as carbonized rice straw, using a simple and efficient technology.

A review on machinability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP)and glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP)composite materials

Fiber reinforced polymer(FRP) composite materials are heterogeneous and anisotropic materials that do not exhibit plastic deformation. They have been used in a wide range of contemporary applications particularly in space and aviation,automotive,maritime and manufacturing of sports equipment. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP) and glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP) composite materials,among other fiber reinforced materials,have been increasingly replacing conventional materials with their excellent strength and low specific weight properties. Their manufacturability in varying combinations with customized strength properties,also their high fatigue,toughness and high temperature wear and oxidation resistance capabilities render these materials an excellent choice in engineering applications.In the present review study,a literature survey was conducted on the machinability properties and related approaches for CFRP and GFRP composite materials. As in the machining of all anisotropic and heterogeneous materials,failure mechanisms were also reported in the machining of CFRP and GFRP materials with both conventional and modern manufacturing methods and the results of these studies were obtained by use of variance analysis(ANOVA),artificial neural networks(ANN) model,fuzzy inference system(FIS),harmony search(HS) algorithm,genetic algorithm(GA),Taguchi's optimization technique,multi-criteria optimization,analytical modeling,stress analysis,finite elements method(FEM),data analysis,and linear regression technique. Failure mechanisms and surface quality is discussed with the help of optical and scanning electron microscopy,and profilometry. ANOVA,GA,FEM,etc. are used to analyze and generate predictive models.

Experimental Investigation of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymers

The potential usage of virgin Low density polyethelyne (LDPE) reinforced with different concentrations (2%, 5% and 6% by weight) of treated rice straw with different lengths (2 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm) is investigated to produce high value products that have technical and environmental demand. The two treatment methods used for rice straw are alkali and acidic treatments of rice straw. The removal of impurities and waxy substances from fiber surface avoid creation of rougher topography after treatment and improves the quality of fiber, also content of hemi cellulose and lignin decrease so increase effectiveness of fiber due to dispersing of fiber in matrix. The reinforcing material is embedded in the matrix material to enhance tensile and flexural behaviors of the synthesized composite. The result of investigating these two mechanical properties, using statistical analysis & design of experiments, showed an enhancement in the mechaniccal properties of the virgin polymer composite compared to the virgin polymer. The flexural stress of the composite increased three times the virgin flexural stress, while the tensile stress increased eight times the original tensile stress.

THE EFFECT OF POLYMER IN STEEL FIBER REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES

Three kinds of polymers, polymethyl acrylate emulsion (POLYVINYLformal solution (PV- FO), styrene acrylate copolymer emulsion (SA)are chosen To study the effect of polymer in steel fiber rein forcedce- Ment composites (SFRCC). The experimental results show That thebonding properties in SFRCC are remarkably im- Proved after theaddition of three kinds of polymer.

Application of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite (GFRPC) Escape Pipeline in Tunnel

During the tunnel construction process,unfavorable geological conditionsare often encountered.Geological disasters such as collapse,roof fall,water inrush,gas explosion,etc.occur frequently,causing different degrees of property damage and casualties to the construction of the tunnel,seriously affecting harmony during construction.The domestic emergency hedging is mainly the use of 8-10mm steel coils,but the steel is heavy and not suitable for the frequent movement of tunnels.This paper introduces the new Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite(GFRPC)escape pipeline used in Chongqing Jiuyongyi Jinyunshan Tunnel,and compares the traditional steel coil parameters to provide reference for subsequent tunnel hedging measures.

Effect of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Composite Using Resin Impregnation

In this paper, we deals with mechanical performance of resin impregnation with natural fiber and fiber reinforced composites. The effect of the addition of a rein impregnation process on static strength of the injection molded composites was investigated by carrying out tensile and banding tests, followed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation of fiber surface and fracture surface of composites. The tensile strength of natural fiber and natural fiber reinforced composites with resin impregnation method increases with Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) impregnation. In addition, Phenol resin impregnation recovers fiber tensile strength after alkali treatment. Resin impregnation causes decrease in contact surface area;however, it does not cause decrease in mechanical properties. Our results suggest that the using rein impregnation method has better effect on the mechanical properties of natural fiber reinforced Polypropylene (PP) composites.

A comprehensive review on material selection for polymer matrix composites subjected to impact load

Polymer matrix composites(PMC)are extensively been used in many engineering applications.Various natural fibers have emerged as potential replacements to synthetic fibers as reinforcing materials composites owing to their fairly better mechanical properties,low cost,environment friendliness and biodegradability.Selection of appropriate constituents of composites for a particular application is a tedious task for a designer/engineer.Impact loading has emerged as the serious threat for the composites used in structural or secondary structural application and demands the usage of appropriate fiber and matrix combination to enhance the energy absorption and mitigate the failure.The objective of the present review is to explore the composite with various fiber and matrix combination used for impact applications,identify the gap in the literature and suggest the potential naturally available fiber and matrix combination of composites for future work in the field of impact loading.The novelty of the present study lies in exploring the combination of naturally available fiber and matrix combination which can help in better energy absorption and mitigate the failure when subjected to impact loading.In addition,the application of multi attributes decision making(MADM)tools is demonstrated for selection of fiber and matrix materials which can serve as a benchmark study for the researchers in future.

Preliminary Study on Tensile and Impact Properties of Kenaf/Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The application of natural fibers as reinforcement in composite material has increased due to environmental concerns,low cost,degradability and health concerns.The purpose of this study is to identify the best type of bamboo fibers to be used as reinforcement for kenaf(K)/bamboo hybrid composite.There were three types of bamboo fibers evaluated in this study which include bamboo mat(B),bamboo fabric(BF)and bamboo powder(BP).Chemical composition of B,BF,BP and K fibers were analyzed in this study.The effect of different types of bamboo fibers on tensile,impact,and morphological properties were investigated.The B/epoxy composites displayed the highest tensile strength(53.03 MPa)while K/epoxy composite had the highest tensile modulus(4.71 GPa).Scanning electron micrographs of B/epoxy composites displayed better fiber/matrix interfacial bonding in comparison to other studied composites.Results showed that impact strength of BF-based composite was highest(45.70 J/m).In conclusion,the tensile strength of B/epoxy composite is superior to the other bamboo reinforced composites and will be further evaluated in the next study.

Review of Green Polymer Nanocomposites

Recently, attention has been drawn to the use of bio-reinforced composites in automotive, construction, packaging and medical applications due to increased concern for environmental sustainability. Green polymer nanocomposites show unique properties of combining the advantages of natural fillers and organic polymers. Plant fibers are found suitable to reinforce polymers. They have relatively high strength and stiffness, low cost of acquisition, low density and produce low CO2 emission. They are also biodegradable and are annually renewable compared to other fibrous materials. Organic polymers on the other hand, are desirable because they are either recyclable or biodegradable without causing environmental hazards. This paper reviews current research efforts, techniques of production, trends, challenges and prospects in the field of green nanocomposites.

Micro Model of Carbon Fiber/Cyanate Ester Composites and Analysis of Machining Damage Mechanism

Machining damage occurs on the surface of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites during processing. In the current simulation model of CFRP, the initial defects on the carbon fiber and the periodic random distribution of the reinforcement phase in the matrix are not considered in detail, which makes the characteristics of the cutting model significantly different from the actual processing conditions. In this paper, a novel three-phase model of carbon fiber/cyanate ester composites is proposed to simulate the machining damage of the composites. The periodic random distribution of the carbon fiber reinforced phase in the matrix was realized using a double perturbation algorithm. To achieve the stochastic distribution of the strength of a single carbon fiber, a novel method that combines the Weibull intensity distribution theory with the Monte Carlo method is presented. The mechanical properties of the cyanate matrix were characterized by fitting the stress-strain curves, and the cohesive zone model was employed to simulate the interface. Based on the model, the machining damage mechanism of the composites was revealed using finite element simulations and by conducting a theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the milling surfaces of the composites were observed using a scanning electron microscope, to verify the accuracy of the simulation results. In this study, the simulations and theoretical analysis of the carbon fiber/cyanate ester composite processing were carried out based on a novel three-phase model, which revealed the material failure and machining damage mechanism more accurately.

Bio Caryota Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites: Mechanical Properties and Vibration Behavior Analysis

Polymer composites reinforced with the biofibers are found to have improved applications in many fields and also they can reduce the environmental effect. In this work, caryota-a new natural fiber for polymer composites is fabricated and their tensile, flexural and impact properties are estimated to be used in economical and lightweight load carrying structures. Laminates at different weight fraction (wt%) of 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt% and 45 wt% are manufactured using a compression molding technique. Results asserted that the unidirectional arrangement having 40 wt% fiber posses good properties. Also the dynamic characteristics such as natural frequency and damping study are carried out for different wt% of unidirectional caryota fiber reinforced composite laminates by ex? perimental modal analysis. From this study, it has been asserted that by using the caryota fiber reinforced polyester composites, the traditional synthetic fiber can be replaced especially in automobile sector. If the caryota fiber reinforced composite material is applied properly, then its application fields will be improved.

Comparative Life-cycle Assessment of Sheet Molding Compound Reinforced by Natural Fiber vs. Glass Fiber

We present comparative life-cycle assessments of three fiber-reinforced sheet molding compounds （SMCs） using kenaf fiber, glass fiber and soy protein resin. Sheet molding compounds for automotive applications are typically made of unsaturated polyester and glass fibers. Replacing these with kenaf fiber or soy protein offers potential environmental benefits. A soy-based resin, maleated acrylated epoxidized soy oil （MAESO）, was synthesized from refined soybean oil. Kenaf fiber and polyester resins were used to make SMC 1 composites, while SMC2 composites were made from kenaf fiber and a resin blend of 20% MASEO and 80% unsaturated polyester. Both exhibited good physical and mechanical properties, though neither was as strong as glass fiber reinforced polyester SMC. The functional unit was defined as mass to achieve equal stiffness and stability for the manufacture of interior parts for automobiles. The life-cycle assessments were done on SMCI, SMC2 and glass fiber reinforced SMC. The material and energy balances from producing one functional unit of three composites were collected from lab experiments and the literature. Key environmental measures were computed using SimaPro software. Kenaf fiber-reinforced SMC composites （SMC1 and SMC2） performed better than glass fiber-reinforced SMC in every environmental category. The global warming potentials of kenaf fiber-reinforced SMC （SMCI） and kenaf soy resin-based SMC （SMC2） were 45% and 58%, respectively, of glass fiber-reinforced SMC. Thus, we have demonstrated significant ecological benefit from replacing glass fiber reinforced SMC with soy-based resin and natural fiber.

STUDY ON ULTRASONIC VIBRATION DRILLING IN CARBON FIBER REINFORCED POLYMERS

This paper researches ultrasonic vibration drilling of carbon fiber reinforced polymers composites that are hard, brittle, and have low shear strength between layers. An experiment plan has been developed to reduce the axial force. Experimental studies have been done on the influence of process parameters, tool structures on the drilling axial force. The drilling mechanism is specially investigated. Thus an effective method is presented to reduce the drilling axial force. The authors suppose that ultrasonic vibration drilling is feasible for carbon fiber reinforced polymers composites.

A Comprehensive Review on Epoxy Biocomposites Based on Natural Fibers and Bio‑fillers: Challenges, Recent Developments and Applications

Natural fiber-reinforced polymers remained a hot topic of interest in material sciences over the last two decades.Such fibers are appealing in composite materials due to their renewability,low density,better specific strength,biodegradability,accessibility,and low cost.Polymers reinforced with natural fibers provide improved mechanical performance at a lower cost and could be the best alternative to synthetic fibers.Bio-fillers have gained much attention nowadays due to their cost-effectivity and the ability to modify base materials in the composite structure.Natural materials reinforced epoxy composites have a high capacity due to their eco-friendliness,economic feasibility,and technical viability.However,some parameters directly influence desired product performance.This review discusses various properties of natural fibers and their impact on the overall performance of natural fiber-based epoxy composites.It summarizes the recent research on natural fibers/bio-fillers reinforced epoxy biocomposites.

Sound absorption performance of natural fibers and their composites

This research aimed to study the sound absorption properties of natural fibers and their reinforced composites.Sound absorption coefficients of three types of natural fibers,i.e.,ramie,flax and jute fibers and their composites were measured by the two-microphone transfer function technique in the impedance tube.The results were compared with synthetic fibers and their composites.It was found that both natural fibers and their composites had superior capability of noise reduction.The multi-scale and hollow lumen structures of natural fibers contributed to the high sound absorption performance.Moreover,the sound absorption properties of these natural fibers were also calculated by the Delany-Bazley and Garai-Pompoli models.They showed good agreement with the experimental data.It was concluded that multi-functional composite materials can be made by natural fibers so that both the mechanical and acoustical functions can be achieved.

A DAMAGE MECHANICS MODEL FOR FATIGUE LIFE PREDICTION OF FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITE LAMINA

A damage mechanics fatigue life prediction model for the fiber reinforced polymer lamina is established. The stiffness matrix of the lamina is derived by elastic constants of fiber and matrix. Two independent damage degrees of fiber and matrix are introduced to establish constitutive relations with damage. The damage driving forces and damage evolution equations for fiber and matrix are derived respectively. Fatigue tests on 0° and 90° unidirectional laminates are conducted respectively to identify parameters in damage evolution equations of fiber and matrix. The failure criterion of the lamina is presented. Finally, the life prediction model for lamina is proposed.

Effect of Silane Coupling Agent Concentration on Interfacial Properties of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Composites

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the concentration of silane coupling solution on the tensile strength of basalt fiber and the interfacial properties of basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites.The surface treatment of basalt fibers was carried out using an aqueous alcohol solution method.Basalt fibers were subjected to surface treatment with 3-Methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane at 0.5 wt.%,1 wt.%,2 wt.%,4 wt.%and 10 wt.%.The basalt monofilament tensile tests were carried out to investigate the variation in strength with the concentration of the silane coupling agent.The microdroplet test was performed to examine the effect of the concentration of the silane coupling agent on interfacial strength of basalt reinforced polymer composites.The film was formed on the surface of the basalt fiber treated silane coupling agent solution.The tensile strength of basalt fiber increased because the damaged fiber surface was repaired by the firm of silane coupling agent.The firm was effective in not only the surface protection of basalt fiber but also the improvement on the interfacial strength of fiber-matrix interface.However,the surface treatment using the high concentration silane coupling agent solution has an adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the composite materials,because of causing the degradation of the interfacial strength of the composite materials.