ABSTRACT

Application of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFPC) in

transportation diligences has become inexorable due to light weight, superior
properties, less cost of production and suitability to many products. But the
main disadvantages of employing these fibers are their poor dimensional
stability and high hydrophilic nature. Interfacial bonding between the fiber and
matrix plays a vital role in deciding the mechanical characteristics of
composites. Various chemical cures are applied for enhancing the fiber-matrix
adhesion which ends up in better mechanical characteristics of the composites.
The current aerospace and automotive industries are looking to change the
conventional materials which are high density material to composite material
for reducing the overall weight of the vehicle to increase its performance. This
review paper provides a vast overview on natural fiber reinforced composites,
various chemical treatments applied and applications of those composites.

Introduction
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals were used in earlier times to
produce everything from nail to aircraft. Polymers were then
invented and conventional materials such as metals, for example
switches, fasteners and structural components were replaced.
Plastics are very easy to manufacture complicated components and
weigh less than metal counterparts and are even more robust.
Because of the need for lightweight and robust materials, composite
materials have been developed. A composite material can be
defined as a macroscopic combination of two or more matrix and
reinforcement materials with enhanced properties than individual
materials used alone. Composite materials are usually produced by
the three most important materials, such as polymers, metals and
ceramics. The purpose of using composites in different fields is to
increase strength, reduce weight and fulfill the specific properties of
applications. The matrix material may be polymers, metals or
ceramics.
Polymers are mainly hydrogen, carbon and other non-metallic
elements based organic elements. The physical and mechanical
properties of polymers are essentially insufficient for many
structural and constructional purposes. In particular, their rigidity
and strength is much lower compared to metals and ceramics.
 Polymers are strengthened with natural / synthetic fibers on the
basis of their strength properties to overcome these disadvantages.
The phase in continuous volume and present in a larger volume is
called the matrix. They provide composites with ductility and
toughness. Matrix plays an important role in some of the
composite’s mechanical properties, such as shear properties,
compression and transverse modules. The physical and chemical
properties of the matrix, such as curing temperature, time, viscosity
and fiber bonding behavior, influence the choice of the
manufacturing method.
The matrix in the composites serves the following purpose,
 •
To bond the fibers together and transfer the applied loads between
them
 •
To hold the fibers in the desired orientation and location
 •
To protect the reinforcement from an adverse environmental
damage like temperature, humidity, chemicals and mechanical
degradation usually by abrasion
 •
Carry interlaminar shear
 •
Improves transverse properties of composite
 •
Improves impact and fracture resistance of composite
The needs or desired properties of the matrix which are important
for a composite are as follows,
 •
Low shrinkage
 •
Dimensional stability
 •
Better chemical resistance
 •
Low coefficient of thermal expansion
 •
Reduced moisture absorption
 •
Strength at elevated temperature
 •
Must be elastic to transfer load to fiber
 •
Excellent flow characteristics so that it penetrates the fiber bundles
completely and eliminate voids during the compacting process
 •
Should be easily processable into final composite shape
Among the various materials that can be developed, plastics holds
major share as wood substitutes. Plastics are almost used in all
fields from home appliances to complicated engineering
components. But the plastics are non-renewable and non-
biodegradable. Due to daily price hike and crisis of petroleum-
based materials, there is a need to use suitable alternatives to
concern an environmentally friendly.
The enhancement in mechanical and thermal properties of
fabricated polymer composites depends on the following factors are
 •
Type of fiber
 •
Type of matrix
 •
Type of fillers (if used)
 •
Percentage of fibers in the composites
 •
Aspect ratio and orientation of fiber
 •
Shape of the fiber (which may be cylindrical, spherical or
rectangular cross sectioned prisms or platelets)
 •
Manufacturing method/techniques
Issues such as biodegradability and recyclability are vital role in the
introduction of materials and products. Natural fibers have a
number of techno economic and ecological advantages over
synthetic fibers. Table 1 shows the comparison between natural
and glass fibers.
Synthetic fibers like carbon and glass fibers are widely used as
reinforcement materials, but their non-bio degradability and non-
recyclability becomes a significant drawback at the end of their
lifetime. During processing, they are also found to hazardous to
health. In recent days, research and development interest has been
shifting from monolithic materials to natural fiber reinforced
composites. Carbon dioxide neutrality of plant fibers is mostly
fascinating. The combustion of elements derived from petroleum-
based products releases enormous quantities of carbon dioxide into
the environment, which is believed to be the root cause of the
greenhouse effect and, by extension, the global climate change.
Table 1 shows the comparison between natural and glass Fibers
[1].
Natural fibers are classified into different types based on their
origins such as cotton, pulp, bark, wood, nut shells, corncobs,
bamboo, bagasse and vegetables. These natural fibers are mainly
composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin’s, lignin and small
quantity of extractives. Fig. 1 shows the structural organizations of
the three major constituents in the fiber cell wall. Fig. 2 shows
classification of natural fibers.
Natural fibers provide many advantages over synthetic fibers are
easily availability and low cost, recyclability, renewability,
biodegradability, low density, desirable aspect ratio and moderate
strength. Table 2 shows the physical and mechanical Properties of
various natural fibers. The natural fiber composites can be cost
effective material especially automobile body panels, interiors,
storage devices, building and industrial panels, partition boards and
false ceilings. Aircraft wings and wind turbine blades are constantly
pushing the limits on size and requiring advanced materials,
designs and fabrication techniques. In the further days, composites
will utilize processed fiber and resin, fillers incorporated materials.
The research activities will be refined to use improved materials and
steps to fabricate them into products.

Section snippets
Overview of natural fiber reinforced hybrid polymer
composite
Hybrid composites are the combination of two or more reinforced
elements in single matrix or a mixture of different matrices merged
with a single reinforcing element. The physical and mechanical
properties of the hybrid composites is dependent on the aspect ratio
of fiber, properties of individual fiber, orientation of fiber, length of
individual fiber, adhesion between fiber and matrix and stacking
sequence of both fibers [2]. The properties of the hybrid composites
of two elements can be

Treatment by chemical agents

Natural fibers inherently possess high amount moisture and more
water absorption capability. This ends up in poor interface between
the matrix and reinforcement. To convert the fibers into hydrophobic
from hydrophilic nature, chemical treatment of fibers is necessary.
There are many chemical treatments available in that best chemical
treatment is finding out based upon the environmental aspects and
cost factor.
The main drawbacks of using bio fibers are their poor dimensional
stability and its

Applications of natural fiber composite

NFPC can replace glass in various applications in which the load
bearing capacity is considered as a major factor. Fiber reinforced
composites are better than polymer resins in case of structural
applications because of its high mechanical properties and less cost
[27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34].
Products made of bio fibers have been increased and used in
window frame, decking, dashboards, parcel shelves, door panels,
seat cushions, backrests and cabin linings. The using of

Conclusion
NFPC was observed to perform superior when compared with
synthetic composites since it has low density, affordable cost and
eco-friendly. Thus, natural fiber composites have wide advantages
for the utilization of the commercial and engineering applications.
However, natural fibers have less strength when compared to
synthetic composites but on addition with synthetic composites
provide high strength and less environmental effect. On observation
it is found, for the natural fibres, that the most

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to
influence the work reported in this paper.

Wax is often applied to the surface of moulds before the layup process begins.

wax can be used as a surfactant to improve the wetting and dispersion of reinforcement
materials within the matrix material.

wax can promote better adhesion between the matrix and the reinforcement materials,
resulting in improved mechanical properties of the composite.

wax can be used as a component of the infusion resin to control viscosity and flow
characteristics.

By adjusting the amount and type of wax in the resin, manufacturers can tailor the resin's
behaviour during the infusion process, ensuring uniform distribution of the resin throughout
the reinforcement structure.

The finishing process of hybrid composite manufacturing involves several steps aimed at
refining the surface of the composite part to meet specific requirements regarding
appearance, dimensional accuracy, and performance.