Surface treatment to improve water repellence and compatibility of natural fiber with polymer matrix: Recent advancement

The world is in need of more eco-friendly material, therefore numerous efforts have been made to replace synthetic fibers in fiber-reinforced composites with natural fibers reinforced composite (NFRC), owing to growing environmental consciousness and the depletion of oil supplies. The low cost, low density, abundance, and biodegradability of NFRC, have encouraged several researchers worldwide to study their potential applications in a number of industrial sectors. However, NFRC have several disadvantages, including excessive moisture absorption and subsequent swelling and degradation, low chemical and fire resistance, significant mechanical characteristics dispersion, insufficient interfacial interactions with…