Properties and Applications of Composites Reinforced with Natural Fibers – a Brief Review

The current concern on the environmental appeal provides a search for the development of eco-friendly materials that are applied in the most diverse areas of knowledge. In this scenario, natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLFs) are highlighted, because in comparison to conventional synthetic fibers they have several advantages, such as lower density, biodegradability and abundant availability, cause low damage to equipment. Additionally, their wastes do not pollute the environment. These characteristics make them a promising alternative for use as reinforcement in composite materials. There is a growing interest on the part of the academic community in investigating the properties presented by composites reinforced with natural fibers (CRNFs), thus generating a high number of published works related to this topic. Various methodologies are investigated with the aim of causing a significant improvement in the properties presented by the CRNFs, such as fiber surface treatments, manufacturing processes or processing temperatures. The properties presented by these composites are directly dependent on the matrix, the fiber reinforcement and the interface region between these phases. CRNFs are growing in number and degree of applications, being observed in different areas such as civil construction, naval, military, medical, fashion, automobile and several others, where all of them need materials that exhibit exceptional properties allied to low weight. The present work intends to present an up dated brief review on CRNFs, where due emphasis are given to the manufacturing methods, properties and main applications for these materials.