Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

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

Degradable Green Polymers, Green Nanopolymers and Green Nanocomposites Derived from Natural Systems: Statistics and Headways

This review summarizes advances in biodegradable green polymers and nanocomposites derived from natural sources, covering their properties, classification, and environmental benefits. Developing genuinely biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics is essential for reducing long-term microplastic accumulation in ecosystems.

2023 Nano-Horizons Journal of Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Environmental Degradation of Plastic Composites with Natural Fillers—A Review

Researchers examined the environmental degradation of polymer composites containing natural fillers, finding that exposure to outdoor conditions accelerates biodegradation of natural components and alters the mechanical properties of the composite material. The degradation process can generate microplastic fragments as the matrix breaks down.

2020 Polymers 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Polymer Materials Based on Polyethylene and Natural Rubber: Acquiring, Investigation, Properties

Researchers developed biodegradable polymer materials by blending polyethylene with natural rubber to create more environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional synthetic packaging materials, investigating the acquisition methods, structural properties, and performance characteristics of the resulting composites.

2022 Polymers 15 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

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

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

Biobased Polymer Composites: A Review

This review surveyed the development of biobased polymer composites using natural fibers like hemp, flax, and sisal, highlighting their potential as sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials while discussing challenges in mechanical performance and processing.

2022 Journal of Composites Science 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Production of Biodegradable Polymeric Composites with the Addition of Waste

Researchers produced biodegradable polymer composites using glycerol, starch, and macauba epicarp fiber at varying loadings (10-30%), evaluating mechanical properties, water solubility, and biodegradability. Using agricultural waste fiber as reinforcement in biopolymer composites offers a more sustainable approach to reducing petroleum-based plastic use.

2023 Materials 15 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

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

Nanocellulose Bio-Based Composites for Food Packaging

This review explores the use of nanocellulose-based bio-composites as sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastic packaging in the food industry. Researchers found that nanocellulose materials offer improved mechanical strength, barrier properties, and biodegradability compared to conventional plastics. The study highlights how these plant-derived materials could help reduce plastic packaging waste while maintaining food quality and safety standards.

2020 Nanomaterials 194 citations
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

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

Biodegradable Polymers: The Future of Sustainable Plastic Alternatives

This review examines biodegradable polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, evaluating their potential to reduce microplastic pollution and ecological degradation. The authors assess the performance, environmental fate, and scalability of current biodegradable materials, identifying key challenges for widespread adoption across packaging and consumer product applications.

2025 Scriptora International Journal of Research and Innovation (SIJRI)
Article Tier 2

Degradable Green Polymers, Green Nanopolymers and Green Nanocomposites Derived from Natural Systems: Statistics and Headways

This review surveys the fundamentals, classification, and properties of degradable green polymers, nanopolymers, and nanocomposites derived from natural sources, covering applications in transient electronics, barrier films, packaging, environmental protection, and biomedicine. The authors highlight the promise of natural degradable nanomaterials for addressing ecological challenges while noting that industrial and commercial scalability remains a significant hurdle.

2023 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Composites with different Reinforced Natural Fibers – A Comparative Study

This is a materials science study comparing the mechanical properties of polypropylene composites reinforced with five different natural plant fibers; it is not a microplastics research paper.

2023 Journal of Ecological Engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Materials for Packaging

This review evaluates bio-based materials as sustainable alternatives for plastic packaging, examining the environmental performance, mechanical properties, and commercial viability of biopolymers in addressing the global plastic pollution crisis.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Drying of the Natural Fibers as A Solvent-Free Way to Improve the Cellulose-Filled Polymer Composite Performance

This materials science paper describes how thermal drying of cellulose fibers improves their performance as fillers in polymer composites. Developing stronger plant-fiber composites is part of the broader effort to create biodegradable plastic alternatives that do not generate persistent microplastic pollution.

2020 Polymers 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Market competition and risk assessment of nanofiber composite materials

This review examines the market competition and risk assessment landscape for nanocellulose composite materials, which are biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics for some applications. Replacing plastic with plant-based materials can reduce long-term microplastic accumulation in the environment.

2023 Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Material and Environmental Properties of Natural Polymers and Their Composites for Packaging Applications—A Review

This review assessed the material and environmental properties of natural polymers including cellulose, starch, chitosan, and protein for food packaging applications, comparing their performance to conventional plastics. The authors found that natural polymer composites can approach the tensile strength and water vapor barrier properties needed for packaging while offering significant environmental benefits at end of life.

2022 Polymers 69 citations