Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Future Prospects of Biodegradable Natural Fiber Composites: Innovations and Enhanced Performance in Roofing and Packaging Applications

Despite its title referencing sustainable composites and roofing/packaging, this paper studies the development of biodegradable natural fiber composites (from hemp, jute, and flax) as alternatives to synthetic fiber materials — not microplastic pollution research. It examines materials science for sustainable construction and packaging applications and is not directly relevant to microplastic contamination or human health.

2025 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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

This review examines the properties and applications of natural lignocellulosic fiber-reinforced composites as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fiber composites. Natural fiber composites are biodegradable alternatives to glass and carbon fiber plastics, which can generate microplastic debris when they break down.

2023 Journal of Engineering Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Compatibility of Polymer/Fiber to Enhance the Wood Plastic Composite Properties and their Applications

This review examined how fiber compatibility affects the properties of wood-plastic composite materials, which combine natural fibers with plastic matrices for construction and other uses. Developing better bio-composite materials can help reduce reliance on pure plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution.

2021 Egyptian Journal of Chemistry 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical Properties Optimization of Hybrid Aramid and Jute Fabrics-Reinforced Graphene Nanoplatelets in Functionalized HDPE Matrix Nanocomposites

This is a materials science study optimizing the mechanical properties of a jute-aramid hybrid polymer composite reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets; it is not a microplastics research paper.

2023 Polymers 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Polymer-Based Natural Fiber Composites

This review examined biodegradable polymer composites reinforced with natural fibers as alternatives to conventional plastics. Combining biodegradable matrices with plant fibers improved mechanical performance while maintaining degradability and reducing the risk of persistent microplastic contamination. These materials represent a promising direction for sustainable packaging and construction applications.

2022 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Jute: Solution to Global Challenges and Opportunities of Bangladesh

This paper explores ways to diversify uses of jute — a natural fiber crop — to create more sustainable products as alternatives to synthetic plastics. Natural fiber-based materials like jute could replace some plastic applications and reduce the generation of microplastic-producing synthetic textiles.

2021 SEISENSE Business Review 6 citations
Review Tier 2

Sustainable Composite Materials: A Review of Waste Reduction Strategies In Manufacturing

This review examines waste reduction strategies for sustainable composite material manufacturing, evaluating approaches including bio-based matrices, recycled reinforcements, and closed-loop production systems for reducing environmental impact and improving resource efficiency.

2025 Graduate Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Reports and Reviews
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Eco-Friendly Hemp-Fiber-Reinforced Recycled HDPE Composites

Researchers developed hemp-fiber-reinforced recycled HDPE composites from postconsumer plastic waste, demonstrating that these sustainable biocomposites can serve as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional wood-plastic composite products.

2023 Journal of Composites Science 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Rot-, Fire-, and Water-Retardant Treatments on Jute Fiber and Their Associated Thermoplastic Composites: A Study by FTIR

Researchers used FTIR analysis to evaluate how rot-, fire-, and water-retardant treatments affect jute fiber properties and the performance of associated thermoplastic composites, finding that treatments alter fiber chemistry and composite characteristics.

2021 Polymers 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Composites for Maritime Engineering: A Review

This review examines green composite materials made from biodegradable and renewable components as sustainable alternatives for maritime engineering applications, evaluating their mechanical properties, durability in marine environments, and potential to reduce the carbon footprint of marine structures.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Adhesives Combined with Lotus Leaf Fiber to Prepare Bio-Composites for Substituting the Plastic Packaging Materials

Researchers prepared biodegradable composite packaging materials by combining natural bio-adhesives with lotus leaf fiber, testing mechanical and thermal properties. Natural fiber composites offer an alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging that would not generate persistent microplastic pollution.

2021 JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE MATERIALS 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Biodegradable Biocomposites Reinforced With Natural Fibers: A Review on Processing, Properties, and Degradation

As concern grows about plastic waste and microplastic pollution from synthetic polymers, this review examines biodegradable biocomposites reinforced with natural plant fibers as a more sustainable alternative. The authors find that these materials can match or exceed the mechanical performance of conventional plastics while actually degrading in the environment — but note a critical gap: lab biodegradation tests often do not reflect real-world conditions, creating uncertainty about how quickly these materials actually break down. Better standardized testing and lifecycle analysis are needed to confirm whether natural fiber biocomposites can genuinely replace conventional plastics at industrial scale.

2026 Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Article Tier 2

Nano/Micro Hybrid Bamboo Fibrous Preforms for Robust Biodegradable Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Researchers created strong, eco-friendly composite materials by combining nano- and micro-scale fibers from bamboo, producing a biodegradable plastic alternative with improved mechanical properties. This work contributes to developing sustainable materials that could replace conventional petroleum-based plastics and reduce microplastic generation.

2021 Polymers 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Packaging Sustainability with Natural Fiber Reinforced Biocomposites: An outlook into the future

This review examines natural fiber-reinforced biocomposites — made from agricultural waste and plant fibers — as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based packaging materials, discussing manufacturing techniques, recent advances, and remaining challenges for wider adoption across food and consumer goods packaging.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical properties of fibre/ filler based poly(Lactic Acid) (Pla) composites : A brief review

This review examines the mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-based composites reinforced with natural fibers and fillers, presenting PLA as a biodegradable alternative to conventional plastics in applications ranging from agriculture to biomedical devices. Improving the strength and durability of bio-based plastics is essential for replacing petroleum-based materials that generate persistent microplastic pollution.

2021 Acta Innovations 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable jute fiber-based composites with controllable seepage for sustainable agricultural water-saving management

Researchers developed a biodegradable composite made from jute fibers and polylactic acid (PLA) as a sustainable alternative to conventional PVC irrigation pipes. The material achieved controllable water seepage rates and demonstrated good mechanical strength, while degradation tests confirmed it loses up to 20 percent of its weight after three months in soil. The study suggests that these renewable fiber-based composites could help reduce microplastic pollution from agricultural irrigation infrastructure.

2025 Cellulose 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Analysis for the Use of Bio-Based Plastics with Natural Fiber Reinforcement in Additive Manufacturing

Researchers reviewed the potential for using plant-based (bio-based) plastics reinforced with natural fibers in 3D printing as a sustainable alternative to fossil-fuel-derived composites, finding that while such materials could offer comparable strength at lower environmental cost, economic viability and biodegradability under real-world conditions remain challenges.

2023 Lecture notes in mechanical engineering
Article Tier 2

Performance Spectrum of Home-Compostable Biopolymer Fibers Compared to a Petrochemical Alternative

Researchers compared home-compostable biopolymer fibers to conventional petrochemical alternatives, evaluating their mechanical performance and degradability to assess whether biobased materials can serve as viable substitutes that reduce microplastic pollution.

2023 Polymers 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of the Green Composite: Importance of Biopolymers, Uses and Challenges

This review examines the growing role of biopolymers and green composites as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics. The authors discuss how natural polymer structures can be engineered into composite materials that perform well while reducing long-term environmental harm. The study highlights both the promise and remaining challenges of scaling biopolymer use to replace traditional plastics that persist in the environment.

2023 Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-Design of Polymer Matrix Composite Parts: A Review

This review examines eco-design principles applied to polymer matrix composite parts, covering the environmental impacts of composites across their lifecycle from design and manufacturing through to recycling and end-of-life. The review emphasizes sustainable approaches including waste minimization, recyclability, and the use of bio-based or recycled materials.

2023 Polymers 23 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on biodegradable polymer: Shortcomings, developments, and future direction

This review examines the current market share, classifications, and shortcomings of biodegradable polymer materials, synthesizing developments in this field and identifying future directions for reducing environmental pollution caused by conventional non-degradable polymer composites.

2023 Applied and Computational Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Potential of Posidonia oceanica Fibers in Eco-Friendly Composite Materials: A Review

This review explores the potential of Posidonia oceanica, a marine seagrass abundant in the Mediterranean, as a natural fiber reinforcement in composite materials. The plant fibers show promise as fillers in both cementitious and polymer composites, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic reinforcements that contribute to microplastic pollution. Using this abundant marine biomass in construction and manufacturing could reduce dependence on synthetic plastics while valorizing a natural resource.

2025 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progress on Natural Fibers Mixed with CFRP and GFRP: Properties, Characteristics, and Failure Behaviour

This review examined the properties and performance of natural fiber composites hybridized with carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced polymers, finding that combining natural and synthetic fibers produces lightweight, cost-effective materials with lower environmental impact than pure synthetic composites. The authors identify hybrid bio-composites as a sustainable direction for structural applications currently dominated by fossil-fuel-derived fiber materials.

2022 Polymers 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward Sustainable Fiber‐Reinforced Polymer Composites

This review explores pathways toward making fiber-reinforced polymer composites more sustainable, covering recyclability, bio-based materials, and biodegradability. The study emphasizes that with the composites market projected to reach 15.5 million tons by 2026, improving end-of-life management and incorporating natural fibers are critical priorities.

2024 Macromolecular Materials and Engineering 15 citations