Effect of Natural Fibers Surface Treatment and their Reinforcement in Thermo- Plastic Polymer Composites: A Review

In previous years natural fibers are frequently used to reinforce materials. The biodegradability is the main advantage of natural fibers. The disadvantage of using natural fibers in polymer composite material is their poor adhesion ability with a polymeric matrix which affects the various physical and mechanical properties of the composite material. To overcome this disadvantage, the surface of the natural fibers needs to be modified so that a good fiber-matrix adhesion can be established. The various treatment methods such as physical treatment and chemical treatment methods for the improvement of fiber-matrix adhesion have been discussed in this paper. So the overall objective of this review paper is to highlight the previous and recent studies related to the surface treatment of natural fibers and their reinforcement in thermoplastic polymer matrix composites. The improvement in various properties specifically mechanical properties by reinforcing these fibers into thermoplastic polymer matrix composites has also been reported in this paper. Keywords: Fibers, surface modification, composites, polyethylene, polypropylene & PVC.