Interfacial adhesion in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites

Concerns about the environment and increasing awareness about sustainability issues are driving the push for developing new materials that incorporate renewable sustainable resources. Th is has resulted in the use of natural fi bers for developing natural fi ber-reinforced polymer composites (NFRPCs). A fundamental understanding of the fi ber-fi ber and fi ber-matrix interface is critical to the design and manufacture of polymer composite materials because stress transfer between load-bearing fi bers can occur at the both of these interfaces. Effi cient stress transfer from the matrix to the fi ber will result in polymer composites exhibiting suitable mechanical and thermal performance. Th e development of new techniques has facilitated a better understanding of the governing forces that occur at the interface between matrix and natural fi ber. Th e use of surfacemodification is seen as a critical processing parameter for developing new materials, and plasma-based modifi cation techniques are gaining more prominence from an environmental point of view, as well as a practical approach.