Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites (NFRCs) are gaining attention in construction, furniture, packaging and automotive industries. They offer many benefits such as low material cost and weight. They also provide sustainable solutions and lower environmental impact. These composites have some challenges including moisture absorption and processing temperature.
Natural fibers (NFs) have gained attention in recent years due to their numerous properties that can be used in various potential applications. They are low cost, biodegradable, recyclable and nonabrasive. However, they have some drawbacks such as poor dimensional stability and high water absorption. Hence, various surface treatment techniques have been conducted to enhance the physico-mechanical properties of these fibers and also their sustainability. Chemical treatments include alkali-treatment, acetylation and silane-treatment, among others. The treatment of Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites reduces their hydrophilic nature, improves the interfacial bonding between the fibers and matrix and increases their thermal stability. It also enhances the tensile strength of the NFs. The chemical treatment of natural fibers significantly improves their physical and mechanical properties as well as their sustainability. The treatment of NFs can be done through different manufacturing methods including automated fiber placement, extrusion, compression molding, resin transfer molding (RTM), long fiber thermoplastic-direct method (LFT-D), sheet molding compound (SMC) and pultrusion. Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites have been gaining traction owing to their low cost, lightweight, biodegradability, life cycle superiority, and noble mechanical properties. Various types of plant fibers such as sisal, ramie, flax, hemp, and cotton are often used as reinforcement for polymers to obtain high-performance composites. These NFRPCs have several advantages over glass fibers like lower weight, noise reduction, and increased fuel efficiency. Moreover, they are also considered eco-friendly and renewable resources due to their carbon-neutral nature. They can be reinforced with a variety of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Various studies of Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites have been conducted to study the effects of acetylation of cellulose fibers on the interfacial bonding between the fibers and the matrix. Chemical treatment is an effective method for improving the interfacial interaction between the cellulose fibers and polymer matrix. The acetylation treatment reduces the hydroxyl groups present on the cellulose fibers and enhances their surface roughness, which improves the bonding strength between the fibers and the matrix. Since the Low Melting Fibre has more effective qualities than its substitutes, such as wool, cotton, and nylon, among others, it is utilised to create mattresses that are more comfortable. Alkali-treatment is one of the most common chemical treatments used to modify the surface of natural fibers. During the treatment, natural fibers are immersed in a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at a specific concentration and temperature for a certain time period. During the alkali-treatment process, the hemicellulose, pectins, lignin and wax covering the outer surface of the fibers are removed. This modifies the fiber structure and improves the adhesion of natural fibers to the polymer matrix. Improving the mechanical properties of composites, alkali-treatment also enhances thermal stability and water absorption of these composites Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites. However, a balance must be maintained between enhancing the mechanical properties of these composites and maintaining their degradability. Several chemical treatments are used to improve the mechanical properties of the natural fibers and to enhance the interfacial bonding between the matrix and the fiber surface. These treatments are intended to increase the stiffness, tensile strength, and the storage modulus of the fibers. The most common of these chemical treatments is the acetylation of natural fibers. The acetylation process reduces the hydrophilic nature of the natural fibers and increases their stability, thus providing good thermal properties to the composites. The treatment increases the tensile strength and mechanical properties of the fibers. The acetylation of the natural fibers also increases their water sorption capacity and provides an improved thermomechanical property of the composites. The acetylation process is an effective way to enhance the mechanical properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites and has been widely used in these products.
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