Recent Advancements in Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites – A Review

Recent Advancements in Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites – A Review

Lakhvir Singh

Assistant Professor/ Yadavindra Department of Engineering,

Punjabi University Guru Kashi Campus, Talwandi Sabo,

Punjab, India

e-mail address: lakhvir_ydoe@pbi.ac.in

Devanand

Research Scholar / Yadavindra Department of Engineering, Punjabi University Guru Kashi Campus, Talwandi Sabo,

Punjab, India

e-mail address: kdev3330@gmail.com

Balraj Singh Brar

Professor/ Yadavindra Department of Engineering, Punjabi University Guru Kashi Campus, Talwandi Sabo,

Punjab, India

e-mail address: brarbalraj@yahoo.com

Manmeet Singh Shergill Ph.D Research Scholar,

Department of Mechanical Engineering,

Punjabi University Patiala (Punjab), India

e-mail address: manmeetsheargill@gmail.com

AbstractCurrently there is a significant advancement in green technology in material science, mainly through the production of natural fiber-reinforced composite materials. The global advancement of high-performance engineering products derived from natural resources is gradually expanding. This study intends to explore the mechanical properties and various applications of natural fiber composites. Natural fibers are currently attracting the focus of academic and industrial researchers because of their accessibility, excellent strength and stiffness, superior thermal and acoustic insulation qualities, high specific strength, light weight, water resistance, high impact strength, low weight, low cost, fairly good mechanical properties, non-abrasiveness, environmental friendliness, and biodegradability. The study concludes that natural fiber- reinforced composites assist as an environmentally friendly and sustainable opportunity that can partially or wholly replace synthetic fiber composites in the automotive, furniture, construction, packaging, and consumer product industries.

KeywordsNatural fibers, Reinforcement, Matrix, Green Composites, eco-friendly, Natural fiber composites

1. INTRODUCTION

   In manufacturing, materials are taken as pillar of any industry. In manufacturing industry several materials have employed from pure metals to the composite materials. Because of shortcoming of pure metals, the composite materials are fabricated to fulfil the expectations of modern industries [1]. Currently, manufacturing industries extensively produced composite materials to replace the various materials due to strong damping capacity, high specific strength and high specific modulus. In 1940 the composite fiber was fabricated first time by using the fiber as reinforcement material. Composite materials are embracing of two or more materials having distinct properties [2] .

   Reinforcement is the primary constituent of composite material and has to takes maximum of the load applied on the

   composite material. As reinforcement consumes load, it must be hard, brittle and have high strength. For sustainable development, it is challenge as well as need of every industry to minimize or replace the non-sustainable products with the sustainable ones [3]. Plant-based fibers strongly contribute to this environmentally sustainable endeavor. In composite materials field, industry as well as customer as a interested to use the naturally available materials [4].

   In todays market, it is essential to use currently available natural fibers to overcome synthetic fiber and also to explore new plants that produced natural fibers in with low cost and easy method of extraction. This method produced natural fiber without effect the various properties of natural fibers. So, in this way the overall cost of composite material can be reduced [5].

2. NATURAL FIBRE-REINFORCED BIO- COMPOSITES

   Usually depending upon the type of the constituents, natural fiber composites are classified in two main categories as eco- friendly and green composite materials [6] . In Green composite materials, all its elements are obtained from renewable resources. This can reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and the dependence on materials derived from petroleum. Whereas partially eco-friendly composite materials have one of the elements, either fibre or matrix, is not extracted from renewable resources [7].

   Figure 1: Types of Bio-Composites Materials

   1. Bio-Polymeric Matrix:

      The mechanical properties of a composite material also depend on matrix material as well as well fiber. The Matrix material can be fabricated from either synthetic (Petro based) or bi-based (animal or plants). Bio-polymer materials are also biodegradable in nature because polymer bio-degrades by the action if living organism. Mostly polylactic acid (PLA) or starch or cellulose ester or protein are biodegradable bio-based polymers available at industrial level. Presently approximately 6% biopolymers are used at global polymer market which is extremely low [8].

      Before selection of polymer material mechanical properties, chemical resistance, dimensional stability, manufacturing process must be considered for to recycle or biodegrade for future ability.

   2. Natural Fibres

      Besides, according to the source or origin of fiber natural fibres are usually categorized animal, mineral, and plant. In specific, organic fibres are favored. Plant fibre is the furthermost needed type of fibre because it encompasses cellulose, but animal fibre is predominantly protein-rich, and mineral fibre is associated to health. A report by Pickering et al. notwithstanding, plant fibre is stronger and securer than animal fibre. Figure 2 shows the various types of natural fiber that are used in manufacturing industry [9].

      Figure 2: Types of Natural Fibers

      Literature examined that most of the researchers focuses on Sugarcane bagasse, Bamboo, Jute, Kenaf, Flax, Grass, Sisal, Hemp, Coir Abaca Costa, Rica, Oil palm, Pineapple, Rice husk, Rice straw and Wood fiber [10] [11] [12].

3. PROPERTIES OF NATURAL FIBERS

   1. Chemical Properties of Natural fibers:

      The cells or natural fiber is generally consisting of the primary wall and other one is secondary wall. The primary or first wall comprises hemicellulose, pectins, proteins, and disordered cellulose microfibrils, which provides flexibility. It also acts as Skelton for the fiber. On the other hand, secondary wall accountable for the fibers high mechanical properties and much stiffer [13] .

   2. Physical Properties of Natural fibers:

      The main constraints in consideration of fiber properties consist of cell number, cell aspect ratio, crystalline cellulose content and microfibrillar angle. lower microfibrillar angle and Higher cellulose content are important for high fiber strength. Fibers are further categorized by their aspect ratio [14].

   3. Mechanical Properties of Natural fibers:

   The obtain the optimal mechanical properties of Natural fiber reinforced composites (NFRC) various factors must be considered like: physical properties, chemical properties, bonding of matrix and fiber, moisture absorption, impurities, volume fraction of the natural fiber to be used in fabrication. The mechanical properties of natural fibers are given below in Table No. 1

   7	Jute fibers	Frontal bonnet of a vehicle
   8	Pineapple and cassava flour	Automotive interior parts
   9 /td>	Flax fiber	Vehicle bonnet
   10	Coconut flower cover fiber	Seat bottoms, back cushions and head restraints, interior trim and seat cushioning, seat surfaces/backrests
   11	Glass fibre with hemp fibre	Automobile application
   12	Kenaf fibres	Automobile components such as dash boards, door interiors, and underfloor components
   13	Abaca fibre	Automobile application
   14	Palm sheath and sugarcane bagasse fibres	Vehicle dashboard applications
   15	Sisal/kenaf fiber	interior door linings and panels, door panels

   Table 1: Mechanical Properties of Natural fibers [15]

   Natural Fiber	Density (g/cm3)	Tensile Strength (MPa)	Youngs Modulus (GPa)
   Bagasse	0.81	250300	1720
   Banana	0.51.5	711789	4.032.7
   Hemp	1.11.6	2851735	14.444.0
   Cotton	1.51.6	287800	5.512.6
   Flax	1.31.5	3401600	2581
   Sugarcane	1.11.6	170350	5.16.2
   Jute	1.31.5	393773	1326.5
   Coir	1.21.6	170230	3.07.0
   Kenaf	0.61.5	2231191	1160
   Oil Palm	0.71.6	50400	0.69.0
   Sisal	1.31.6	468640	9.422
   Ramie	1.41.5	400938	61128
   Bamboo	1.21.5	500575	27.040.0

   There are numbers of applications where these natural fibers used in manufacturing industry. As per application or use type of reinforcement or natural fiber is taken. Table no. 2 Shows several common of natural fiber in manufacturing sectors.

   Table 2: Applications of various Natural Fibers [5], [6]

   S No.	Natural fibres used in the study	Recommended Applications
   1	Flax plant fiber	Vehicle bonnet, Carrier for covered door panel, seat back panels, armrests, floor tray
   2	Jute, coir, kenaf, flax, abaca, sisal, hemp	Automobile application, seat backs
   3	Leucas Aspera	Brake pads
   4	Azadirachta indica	Automobile application
   5	Banana fibers with leather	Automobile application
   6	Areca sheath	Automobile dashboard panel

   There are several reasons behind the use of natural fibers by researchers as well industry. Figure No. 3 shows citation of research articles for three years i.e. from 2016 to 2018 [16]. Most of Researchers used cotton natural fiber followed by followed by pineapple and bamboo. Ravindran et al. concludes that in year 2015 the publication of research paper related to natural fiber materials was approximately 100 with just 2000 citations which crosses 400 publications and 10000

   citations in 2022 [17] .

   Figure 3: Natural Fibers used paper citations

4. COMPARISON OF VARIUOS VARIOUS NATURALS FIBER COST

   Dittenber and GangaRao gathered data of various natural fiber and glass fiber publication and compare the cost per weight as shown in figure No.4. Moreover, the cost of several natural

   fibers also depends upon the geographic area from where these fiber are taken for use [18] .

   Figure 4: Ccomparisons between glass and natural fibers cost [19]

5. CONCLUSION

   The paper concludes that, for fabrication of composites materials the researchers focus on several natural fibers because natural fibers have comparable properties to the synthetic fibres. The demand of natural fiber reinforced composite materials increases in field of aerospace, automotive, construction and various industrial applications because of specific stiffness and strength, lighter weight, flexibility of manufacturing, renewable in nature and environment friendly. In market the demand of these composite is high due to bio-based and biodegradable polymers. For further improvement processing techniques of fibers, treatment of fibers to improve the adhesion between fiber and the biopolymer can be adopted.

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