review · Journal of Natural Fibers
Natural fibre-reinforced composites offer benefits such as light weight, low cost, and reduced environmental impact, but their widespread use is restricted by inadequate mechanical strength, thermal resistance, water repellence, and antibacterial performance. Adding zinc oxide nanofillers to the polymeric matrix addresses these technical challenges. This review surveys recent progress in incorporating zinc oxide nanoparticles into natural fibre composites, focusing on the resulting improvements to mechanical, water-resistant, thermal, and antibacterial properties. It examines matrix incorporation techniques, particularly melt mixing and solution mixing, alongside surface modification methods designed to counter nanoparticle agglomeration. Additionally, the work outlines potential application routes and future directions for these modified composite materials across the automotive, packaging, and construction sectors.
Natural fibres provide an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fibres, but functional limitations often restrict their real-world use. Examining how zinc oxide nanofillers overcome issues with strength, moisture, and heat resistance helps researchers and manufacturers design more robust bio-based materials. This knowledge supports the transition toward sustainable composite materials with performance suited to challenging industrial environments.
The reviewed technology targets use cases in the automotive, construction, and packaging industries, where companies require sustainable yet durable materials with improved strength, moisture resistance, and antibacterial qualities. Because the abstract describes an overview of processing techniques such as melt mixing and surface modification, the technology remains at an early-stage to applied research level, requiring further development before commercial manufacturing deployment.
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Natural fiber-reinforced composites have gained significant popularity owing to their lightweight nature, low environmental impact, favorable specific properties, and cost-effectiveness. However, these composites often lack sufficient mechanical strength, thermal resistance, water repellence, and antibacterial performance, limiting their applicability in a variety of fields. To address these limitations, researchers have recently investigated the incorporation of ZnO nanofillers into the polymeric matrix of natural-fiber-reinforced composites. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the current literature regarding a review on the utilization of ZnO nanoparticles as fillers in matrix materials to improve the performance of natural-fiber-reinforced composites. Therefore, this review discusses recent advancements in incorporating ZnO nanofillers into natural fiber composites, with an emphasis on how these advancements affect the mechanical, water, thermal, and antibacterial properties of the composites. This review explores the methods for incorporating ZnO nanofillers into a matrix, including solution and melt mixing, and discusses the influence of surface modification on mitigating agglomeration issues. The potential applications and future perspectives of ZnO nanofiller-reinforced natural fiber composites in the automotive, construction, and packaging industries are also discussed.
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DOI: 10.1080/15440478.2024.2356015
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