Natural fiber polymer composites: A review

Natural fiber reinforced composites is an emerging area in polymer science. These natural fibers are low cost fibers with low density and high specifi c properties. These are biodegradable and non-abrasive. The natural fiber c omposites offer specific properties comparable to those of conventional fib er composites. However, in development of these composites, the incompatibi lity of the fibers and poor resistance to moisture often reduce the potenti al of natural fibers and these draw backs become critical issue. This revie w presents the reported work on natural fiber reinforced composites with sp ecial reference to the type of fibers, matrix polymers, treatment of fibers and fiber-matrix interface. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.