ReviewKenaf fiber reinforced composites: A review
Highlights
► Kenaf fiber is unique and potentially reliable. ► Kenaf fiber is extracted from bast fiber of kenaf plants. ► Properties of kenaf fiber composite are comparable to conventional fiber composites. ► Kenaf fiber composite can be produced using conventional fiber composite manufacturing. ► Kenaf fiber composite have a bright future due to its renewability and eco-friendly.
Introduction
Fiber crops have existed in human society since the beginning of time. History shows that humans collected raw materials from the wild to use as ropes or textiles. Later, societies learned to cultivate such crops. Natural fiber crops are among the earliest known cultivated plants and humans have continued to domesticate these crops over time. Fiber crop varieties have been extensively developed through breeding and selection according to societies’ needs and values [1]. The worldwide availability of natural fibers and other abundantly accessible agro-waste is responsible for this new polymer science and engineering research, and the search for a sustainable technology. Natural fibers were introduced with the intention of yielding lighter composites, coupled with lower costs compared to existing fiber glass reinforced polymer composites. Natural fibers have a lower density (1.2–1.6 g/cm3) than that of glass fiber (2.4 g/cm3), which ensures the production of lighter composites [2]. Conventional petroleum based plastics, such as polypropylene and polyethylene, are used extensively with natural fibers, such as hemp, jute, sisal, and kenaf [3].
Recently, the rapidly expanding use of composite components in automotive, construction, sports and leisure, and other mass production industries, has been focused on sustainable and renewable reinforced composites [4]. This interest encompasses a wide variety of shapes and materials ranging from synthetic to natural, in order to fulfill the demands of producing composites with desired properties. The incorporation of reinforcements, such as fibers and fillers into composites affords a means of extending and improving the properties of the composites that meets the requirements of most engineering applications. Consequently, these improvements will be associated with economic advantages, such as low production costs and low resin consumption [1]. As a result, the demands for natural fiber reinforced composites have increased drastically over the past few years, for various commercial applications in the industrial sector.
In this scientific review article, the overall characteristics of kenaf fiber reinforced composites, in terms of mechanical properties, thermal properties, as well as water absorption properties, will be reviewed. Moreover, the manufacturing processes will be discussed, and the key technical issues that need to be solved in the future, will also be addressed. Whilst review articles and even books on the overall properties of natural fiber reinforced composites have been published [3], [5], the authors have concluded that a specific review article on the overall characteristics of kenaf fiber reinforced composites, has not yet been published; it is believed that such an article should be of significant value to the composite research community.
Section snippets
Natural fiber composites
Over the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of natural fibers in composite applications. These types of composites present many advantages compared to synthetic fibers, such as low tool wear [6], low density, cheaper cost, availability, and biodegradability [7]. The most common natural plant used in applications are bast fibers, such as hemp, jute, flax, kenaf, and sisal [8]. One of the reasons for this growing interest is that natural fibers have a higher specific
Conclusions
Research on kenaf fiber reinforced composite is generating increased attention due to its excellent properties and ecological considerations. A brief discussion of kenaf fiber reinforced composites is given along with a review, in the previous study. The aforementioned topics are aimed at bringing scientists to look at the potential of kenaf fiber as an alternative medium to replace conventional materials or synthetic fibers as reinforcement in composites. Processing techniques for kenaf fiber
Developments for the future
Kenaf fiber reinforced composite shows a bright future among other natural fiber reinforced composites for the several specific reasons that were highlighted in the previous discussion. The most interesting development of kenaf fiber reinforced composite is utilizing its availability and readiness to be used with various manufacturing processes that have never been associated with other natural fibers before, such as pultrusion and potentially, filament winding. Based on this brief review, the
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for their assistant and supportive Grants (814023 and 811070), the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysia, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), the National Kenaf & Tobacco Board (NKTB), Malaysia, for their assistance, which has resulted in this article.
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