Structure, Mechanical behavior and Pre-treatment of Natural fiber composites–A review 2008-28-0043
Natural fiber based composite materials are being increasingly utilized in automobile industries due to their strength to weight ratio, cost and low density. Natural fiber composites offer specific properties that are comparable to those of conventional fiber composites. Therefore, natural fibers constitute an interesting alternative to traditional synthetic fibers in composite materials. However, certain drawbacks such as incompatibility with the polymer matrices and poor resistance to moisture affect the mechanical properties of the natural fiber composites. The performance of the natural fibers mainly depends on the structure, mechanical properties and pre-treatment of the fibers. This paper presents the reported work on natural fiber reinforced composites with special reference to the structure, mechanical properties, treatment of fibers and current application of natural fiber composites in automobiles.
