PERFORMANCE OF NATURAL FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC

Natural fibers could be a great alternative to glass fiber reinforced composites especially in automotive applications. Traditionally used natural fibers are now becoming one of the fastest growing performance additives for thermoplastics. Advantages of natural fibers over conventional glass fiber are: low cost, low density, favorable mechanical properties, reduced energy consumption, biodegradability. The combination of natural fibers like Hemp, Flax, Jute, Henequen, Pineapple leaf fiber and Sisal (hybrid combinations) with polymer matrices produce composite materials which are on par with (in terms of performance and quality) synthetic composites. The vehicle bodies made from these materials give high performance while being entirely biodegradable. Using natural fibers with polymers based on renewable resources will allow many environmental issues to be solved.