Chemical treatments and mechanical characterisation of natural fibre reinforced composite materials - a review
V. Vinoth, S. Sathiyamurthy, N. Ananthi, U. Elaiyarasan
Abstract
At the present scenario, fibre composites play a vital role in fabricating components or parts used in the area of automobile, sports equipment, aerospace and biomedical, etc. Composites reinforced with natural fibres (sisal, hemp, jute, bamboo, coir, flax, etc.) enhanced the chemical and mechanical properties. The use of synthetic fibres instead of natural fibres as an alternative reinforcement is a fascinating interest to researchers and scientists all over the world because of their admirable properties such as abundantly available, low cost, less density, high specific strength, and biodegradable characteristics. However, achieving good compatibility between reinforcement and matrix is challenging during the preparation of natural fibre composites. Hence, to overcome this issue, chemical treatments are considered as the potential method to improve the fibre properties and mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, impact, hardness and water absorption. In this present study, an overview of the various chemical treatments and mechanical characterisation of the natural fibre for utilising in fibre-reinforced polymer composites are reviewed.