A REVIEW ON PROPERTIES, FABRICATION METHODS, AND APPLICATIONS OF THE PLANT-BASED NATURAL FIBRE REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES

Natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composites (NFRECs) remained a hot topic of interest in material sciences nowadays. Such fibers are appealing in composite materials due to their renewability, low density, better specific strength, biodegradability, accessibility, and low cost. Epoxy reinforced with natural fibers provide improved mechanical performance at a lower cost and could be the best alternative to conventional synthetic fibers. Bio-composites have gained much attention recently due to their cost-affectivity and the ability to modify base materials in the composite structure. Natural materials reinforced epoxy composites have a high capacity due to their eco-friendliness, economic feasibility, and technical viability. This review discusses various properties of natural fibers such as chemical composition, physical and mechanical properties, and their impact on the overall performance of natural fiber-based epoxy composites. The review begins with a background of epoxy and natural fibers. It also summarizes the recent research on the different types of manufacturing techniques used to fabricate natural fibers/bio-fillers reinforced epoxy composites. Finally, concluding on the potential application of the natural fibre reinforced epoxy composites (NFRECs) in the various industries like Automotive, Building, Medical, Construction, Textile, Packaging and Transport industry.