Effect of Various Factors on Plant Fibre-Reinforced Composites with Nanofillers and Its Industrial Applications: A Critical Review

Abstract

The growing awareness of the environmental damage caused by petroleum-based fibres has led to an increase in renewable and biodegradable resources. The continually growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable materials pushes automakers and material researchers to consider the ecological importance of their materials during fabricating, recovering, and disposal. Natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFRC) have been introduced into the automobile market substantially over the last ten years due to their renewability, eco-friendliness, recyclability, biodegradability, light weight, better specific strength, good resistance to impact and corrosion, abundantly available, ease of processing, and cost-effectiveness. Due to cost-effectiveness and weight reduction, NFRC is becoming a better replacement for petroleum/synthetic fibres like aramid, kevlar, carbon, and glass fibre-reinforced composites, and the transportation sector has instigated the use of these materials in many applications like car interiors and exteriors, dash boards, bumpers, spoilers, seat covers, and mirror casings. NFRC with nanofillers is gaining more attention in the field of engineering, particularly for automotive, defense, building, and construction applications due to better aspect ratio, larger surface area, and attractive properties. The mechanical, tribological, and thermal properties of plant fibre-reinforced composites can be improved through the incorporation of organic or inorganic nanofillers. The present review profoundly explores the effects of various factors influencing NFRC with nanofillers. This paper also summarises the effects of various chemical reagents, fabrication techniques, and industrial applications of NFRC.