Composites from bast fibres - prospects and potential in the changing market environment

Abstract

Composite materials reinforced with natural fibres, such as flax, hemp, kenaf and jute, are gaining increasing importance in automotive, aerospace, packaging and other industrial applications due to their lighter weight, competitive specific strength and stiffness, improved energy recovery, carbon dioxide sequestration, ease and flexibility of manufacturing and environmental friendliness besides the benefit of the renewable sources of bast fibres. The market scenario for composite applications is changing due to the introduction of newer biodegradable polymers such as PLA synthesized from corn, development of composite making techniques and new stringent environmental laws requiring improved recyclability or biodegradability for industrial applications where stress bearing capacities and micro-mechanical failures dictate serviceability. Bast fibre reinforced composites, made from biodegradable polymer, will have to compete with conventional composites in terms of their mechanical behaviour. Bio-composites, in which natural fibres such as kenaf, jute, flax, hemp, sisal, corn stalk, bagasse or even grass are embedded in a biodegradable matrix, made as bioplastics from soybean, corn and sugar, have opened up new possibilities for applications in automotive and building projects. Obviously new approaches to research and development will be required to assess their mechanical properties and also their commercial competitiveness against petroleum based products. This paper will review the newer products and techniques that can improve the properties of bast fibre based composites as well as potential applications which can increase their market share