Recent advances on the functionalization of natural fibres for biocomposite development

Abstract

Fibrous materials possess well-known versatile properties and thus find widespread applications in different technological areas. Due to the increased environmental awareness and depletion of oil resources, there has been a great concern for replacing synthetic fibers with natural fibers to produce such fibrous materials. Natural fibers possess important advantages such as low cost and availability, biodegradability and low density, which has motivated many researchers throughout the world to explore their potential application in various industrial sectors. However, some disadvantages of natural fibres include high moisture absorption and subsequent swelling and degradation, poor chemical, and fire resistance, high dispersion of mechanical properties, poor interfacial interactions with polymeric or cementitious matrices, etc. Therefore, there is a need for functionalizing the surface of natural fibers through various techniques, in order to overcome their inherent drawbacks and to successfully utilize these materials in various applications. This paper presents a review of existing research studies focused on the surface treatment of natural fibres such as cellulose, keratin, cotton and silk and their use in biocomposites development for advanced applications.