Information in United States Patents on works related to ‘Natural Fibers’: 2000-2018

Abstract

Background: This era has seen outstanding achievements in materials science through the advances in natural fiber-based composites. The new environmentally friendly and sustainability concerns have imposed the chemists, biologists, researchers, engineers, and scientists to discover the engineering and structural applications of natural fiber reinforced composites. Objective: To present a comprehensive evaluation of information from 2000 to 2018 in United States patents in the field of natural fibers and their composite materials. Methods: The patent data have been taken from the external links of US patents such as IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet, Global Dossier, and Discuss. Results: The present world scenario demands the usage of natural fibers from agricultural and forest byproducts as a reinforcement material for fiber reinforced composites. Natural fibers can be easily extracted from plants and animals. Recently natural fiber in nanoscale is preferred over micro and macro scale fibers due to its superior thermo-mechanical properties. However, the choice of macro, micro, and nanofibers depends on their applications. Conclusion: This document presents a comprehensive evaluation of information from 2000 to 2018 in United States patents in the field of natural fibers and their composite materials.