Natural fibre reinforced vegetable-oil based polyurethane composites: a review

Due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties and excellent functional performance, polymer composites have been frequently utilized in several fields. In response to the global demand for reducing carbon footprints and replacing petroleum-derived raw materials, designing eco-friendly & sustainable composite materials from natural resources has received great attention in composite manufacturing. In the process of innovative methods & materials development, natural fibres have emerged as promising alternatives to synthetic fibres. Synthesis of polymer composites that have been made up of bio-based polymer matrix and natural fibre-reinforcement is the current research interest to extinguish the usage of petroleum-derived raw materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This article reviews the contributions of natural fibre-reinforced vegetable oil-derived polyurethane composites and highlights the effect of the chemical treatment of fibre on composite properties. This review concludes that the properties of natural fibre-reinforced vegetable oil-derived polyurethane composites are comparable to synthetic fibre-reinforced composites.