Eng. Sci.

, 2022, 18, 1–10

Engineered Science
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.30919/es8d589

A Review on Natural Fiber Composite Materials in Automotive

Applications
Venkatesh Naik,1,* Mohan Kumar2 and Vijayananda Kaup1

Abstract
Natural fibers have recently caught the attention of academic and industry researchers due to their ease of availability,
environmental friendliness, and biodegradability. Natural fibers derived from plants, such as jute, sisal, banana, flax, hemp,
coir, kenaf, and many more, have been extensively researched over the last two decades and are gaining prominence over
synthetic fibers. Natural fiber composite materials exhibit excellent strength and stiffness, high fracture resistance, as well as
superior thermal and acoustic insulation qualities. Natural fiber reinforced composites have the potential to minimize
component cost and material waste in automotive applications. The rising need for lighter, safer, and more fuel-efficient
automobiles has led to the increased use of natural fiber composite materials in automotive applications by European
automakers over the last decade. This paper investigates recent advancements in the usage of natural fiber-based composite
materials in the automobile sector.
Keywords: Natural fibers; Automobiles; Green Composites; Materials.
Received: 02 June 2021; Revised: 13 August 2021; Accepted: 30 August 2021.
Article type: Review article.

1. Introduction automobile, and bio medical applications.[2] Great measure of

Sustainability and increased ecological awareness have consideration has been coordinated on the use of natural fiber
encouraged researchers to develop effective and novel based materials to discover physical, mechanical, and thermal
materials by exploiting natural sources in the automotive attributes. A broad range of fibers being used are bamboo,
sector. Lightweight, eco-friendly, and sustainable use of kenaf, hemp, jute, flax, coir, sisal, banana etc. Satisfying the
natural fiber reinforced composites (NFRC) is increasingly need for natural fibers over synthetic fibers in today's market,
considered by automakers and researchers.[1] Over the past five it is necessary to use currently available materials and search
decades, the need for sophisticated advanced materials with for new plant fibers to facilitate the simple and low-cost
more functionality and protection has increased in the extraction methods without damaging the properties of fibers.
automotive industry. Regulation on the reduction of CO2 In this manner the cost of the materials can be reduced.[3]
emissions are also becoming mandatory across the globe, and Composites prepared by two or more fibers offer better
this poses a major challenge for vehicle manufacturers. The mechanical, thermal and damping performances compared
primary solution is to reduce the total weight of automotive with single fiber composite materials. Natural fibers are
vehicles. Composite manufacturing is emerging rapidly and generally used in traditional manner for making ropes, mats,
will replace conventional methods for the making of vehicle and yarns as well as in the preparation of items like table sheets,
parts. Plant based fibers are playing a great measure in this handbags, purses, and wall hangings. Fibers extracted from
eco-friendly effort. In the area of composite materials, it was plants like pineapple, banana, and cotton are additionally
witnessed that there is a strong tendency toward the utilized for making fabric as well as being utilized in the paper
incorporation of naturally available materials. Customer industry.[4]
interest for sustainable goods and advances in innovation has The first use of composite material was reported 6000
expanded because of which the usage of natural fibers are years ago as a building material for constructing walls.
assuming indispensable part in utilization of aviation, Concrete has largely replaced this building material in the last
1
century. In general, composites are used in a variety of
CMR Institute of Technology, Bengaluru 560037, India.
2
industries, including building, automotive, and aeronautical,
MVJ College of Engineering, Bengaluru 560067, India.
as well as medical and household applications.[5] In the last
*E-mail: naik.venky@gmail.com (V. Naik)

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Review article Engineered Science

two decades natural fibers are substituting man-made fibers plentiful and have less harvesting costs. The biggest
due to their biodegradability, and environmentally friendly contributing reasons in the discovery and application of bio-
nature. They also offer good strength, high stiffness, low composites are the hazards of synthetic fibers, recycling
density and low cost when compared with manmade fibers.[6] difficulties, and toxic byproducts. Bio-composites are non-
In the previous decade, plant-based fiber composites with abrasive and non-toxic, with characteristics equivalent to
polymers have been incorporated by European vehicle makers synthetic fiber composites and are employed in automobiles.[16]
and providers for dashboards, door panels, headliners, seat The chemical structure of the reinforcing fiber and the
backs, and package trays. There is an increasing trend of bonding interface determine the composite's strength. The
research interest towards natural fiber-based materials over the geographical and environmental conditions under which the
last two decades. Most of the studies on these natural fibers tree or plant is grown decide the chemical composition of the
are based on the development of innovative materials for the plant fiber. It also depends on which portion of the plant the
automobile applications.[7] It's fascinating to note that the fiber is derived from.[17] The cellulose content and micro-
number of publications published in reputable journals is fibrillary angle are the deciding factors of strength for a natural
steadily growing. Natural fiber based composite materials fiber. Higher the cellulose content, stronger the fiber will be.
show higher strength and stiffness, making them suitable for Lower the value of micro-fibrillary angle provides higher
automobile applications. Low density, high strength-to-weight strength to fiber.[18]
ratio, resistance to breakage during manufacturing, low energy Studies on NFRCs have demonstrated that as both human-
content, and recyclability are all benefits of using natural fiber made and natural fiber-based composites are mixed, the
composite materials.[8] Natural fibers, including cellulose, resulting polymer has superior properties. Composites in their
hemicelluloses, pectin, and lignin, are rich in hydroxyl groups. hybrid form exhibit better properties over single fiber
The cellulose is the main components of these fibers. However, composite. When it is subjected to loading conditions, each
the proportion of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin individual fiber offers its best possible resistance. Natural
ranges from plant to plant. Natural fibers appear to be strongly fibers are treated with water to make them practically suitable
polar and hydrophilic materials, whereas synthetic polymers with benefits for improving the properties of natural fiber
are polar and have an enormous hydrophobic effect. Due to composites. The effect of surface treatment method on the
weakness in the interfacial adhesion, there are significant mechanical properties and interfacial bonding depends on the
problems associated with compatibility between fibers and types of fibers used.[19]
matrix materials. Although there are various plant fibers Natural fibers in woven form have recently been utilized to
available in nature, only a few plant fibers are considered to replace synthetic fibers in the production of automotive parts.
be suitable for automotive applications.[9,10] The utilization of Because of their weaving structure, composites produced from
lightweight, low cost characteristic natural fibers offers the woven fibers are flexible and have higher mechanical
likelihood to override a huge segment of the glass and mineral characteristics. Typical mechanical properties of several
fillers in different vehicle exterior and interior parts.[11] natural fibers and glass fibers are listed in Table 1. Most
Light weight is one of the factors which attracts the natural promising fibers widely used for value added applications are
fiber-based composites in automotive applications. With the flax, hemp and kenaf due to their higher strength properties.
use of natural fibers-based composites in various parts of an Kenaf fibers reinforced composites have potential and huge
automobile it is possible to reduce vehicle weight by up to possibility as an alternative to the man-made synthetic fibers
34%. In the year 2008 it was reported that the weight of a car particularly in the automotive and aerospace due to its
can be reduced by 32 kg by utilizing components made up of lightweight property and low cost of manufacturing. It can be
bio-sustainable materials.[12] Ecological interest, as well as understood from the table that the natural fibers are showing
regulatory legislation, have prompted companies in many superior properties well suited for automotive component
countries to address problems related to the product life cycle manufacturing in comparison with the synthetic fibers.[20]
and to handle product recovery at the end of the product life
cycle.[13] 2.2 Studies based on natural fibers for automobile
applications
2. Natural fibers - properties & automobile applications Significant research has already been conducted in order to
2.1 Properties of natural fibers improve the performance of NFRCs and their applications.
Natural fibers are derived from plants, animals, and minerals. This section discusses recent research based on natural fibers
Plant-based cellulosic natural fibers are more cost-effective aimed towards automotive applications. A study reports on
than animal-based fibers. Furthermore, unlike mineral-based structural design and evaluation of the vehicle bonnet made of
fibers, these are not harmful to one's health. As a result, the flax plant fiber-based bio composite material. The impact test
NFRCs made from plant-based cellulosic fibers are the results reveal the suitability of these fibers in the bonnet
primary focus while considering the automobile application.[14] manufacturing. In addition, these fibers result in low weight
Natural fibers come from various parts of the tree or plant, components and better compression properties.[22] Mechanical
including the leaves, stems, and roots.[15] Natural fibers are experiments were performed on specimens subjected to

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Table 1. Mechanical properties of typical natural fibers and glass fibers.[21]

Sl. Density Tensile strength Elastic modulus
Type of fiber Elongation (%)
No. (g/cm3) (MPa) (GPa)
1 Kenaf 0.6–1.5 223–1191 1.6–4.3 11–60
2 Sisal 1.3-1.5 400-700 1.4-2.1 9-55
3 Flax 1.3-1.6 340-1600 1.9-12 8.5–40
4 Hemp 1.1-1.6 285–1735 0.8–4 14.4–70
5 Banana 0.5–1.5 711–789 2.4–3.5 4–32.7
6 Jute 1.3–1.5 385-850 1.1–3.3 25-81
7 Cotton 1.5–1.6 200–800 2.1–12 5.5–15.1
8 Bamboo 1.2–1.5 500–575 1.9–3.2 27–40
9 Coir 1.15–1.6 131–593 14–40 3–7
10 Ramie 1.4–1.55 200–1000 1.2–4 41–130
11 Sugarcane bagasse 1.1–1.6 170–350 6.3–7.9 5.1–6.2
12 Abaca 1.5 430–815 1.2–1.5 31.1–33.6
13 Pineapple 1.56 150–1627 2.4 11-82
14 E-Glass 2.5–2.55 2000–3500 0.5–3 70–73
15 S-Glass 2.5 4570 2.8 86
16 Carbon 1.4–1.78 3400–4800 1.4–1.8 230–425

varying moisture conditions on seven natural fibers (jute, coir, new designs.[28] A work published by Nayak et. al. using
kenaf, flax, abaca, sisal, hemp). The results obtained from treated Areca sheath (AS) fiber in polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
these fibers show distinctly promising potential in the matrix by injection molding method shows that AS/PVC
automobile application. The investigation further uncovers composite can be appropriate substitute material for
that alkalization of fibers can harm the fiber strength and production of automobile dashboard panel.[29] Jute fibers are
results poor mechanical properties.[23] The research carried out used to fabricate front bonnet of a car to replace glass fibers to
on the Caryota fiber properties reveals better mechanical achieve weight reduction, high speed, low power consumption,
properties of the material so it can be used in the production and lesser inertia.[30]
of automotive components.[24] Kim et al. use pineapple and cassava flour reinforced with
Silane treated Leucas Aspera (LA) plant fiber reinforced poly lactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) to
epoxy composite material exemplifies the improvement in study volatile organic compound emissions. The results are
mechanical (tensile and flexural) and thermal properties. compared with polypropylene and polyethylene polymers.
Silane treated LA/epoxy composite used in the preparation of The results reveal significant reduction in odor emissions with
brake pads shows higher shear strength compared to un- pineapple, cassava/PLA, PBS-based composites, and this
treated fibers. Thus, silane treated LA fibers can be utilized in property is well suited for designing automotive interior
applications where good performance and lightweight is parts.[31] A study carried out on the design and analysis of a
prominent.[25] Manimaran et al. study fiber derived from vehicle bonnet using flax fiber reinforced with vinyl ester
Azadirachta indica plant bark and evaluate the physical and matrix composite material shows 30% less weight compared
chemical properties. The results reveal that these fibers are to steel bonnet. A study reports the use of natural fiber hybrid
well suited for the composite materials especially for the plastics (NFHP) in the manufacturing of car dashboards and
application in automotive industries.[26] Structural analysis indoor panes using flax, sisal, and hemp fibers. Luxury car
conducted on automobile hood based on natural flax fiber brand Audi is making use of flax and sisal fibers for the
using commercial analysis software confirms that the making of door trim. Tests conducted on calotropis procera
composite material is reasonably safe, stable, and light weight. fibers showed that it can be good reinforcement for the
Mechanical tests conducted on the hybrid composite made up fabrication of automobile interiors, and sports equipment.
of coir and carbon fiber reinforced with epoxy resin show the Saccharum bengalense grass fibers are suited for car frames,
idea of using two or more fibers are reasonable for the dashboard design, headliners, decking, box racks, pallets,
fabrication of the bike helmet cover, car floors and roofs.[27] spare tyre covers, seat backs, and other automobile parts.[32]
Due to scarcity and high cost of leather, several The findings of a study based on coconut flower covered fiber-
industrialists are attempting to use the combination of leather reinforced polymer composites for making the eco-friendly
with natural fibers. A study done on the combination of banana material appear to be consistent with the experimental data and
fibers with leather shows good results to use them in so may be recommended as an alternative material,
automotive applications. Thus, it is advantageous to create particularly in the automobile sector.[33] Another study into the
natural fiber-based fabrics to help the business in developing hybridization of glass fiber with hemp fiber reveals excellent

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impact strength and hardness, making them more suitable for suitable for automotive applications.[39] A hybrid composite is
automotive applications.[34] Kenaf fibers are utilized in the developed for a light weight automobile application using
fabrication of composite materials while taking into account sisal/kenaf fiber reinforced with epoxy matrix hybrid
aspects such as stacking sequence (layer by layer), volume composite (HC). Study of water absorption of HC material
ratio of fibers to matrix, angular orientation of fibers, and finds to have better moisture absorption capacity in
chemical modification of fiber surface to improve adhesion to comparison with individual fiber composites. Automotive
matrix. The results suggest that kenaf-based composites may industry is taking advantages of natural fibers to achieve an
be used in automobile components such as dash boards, door eco-friendly technology in automobile manufacturing. The
interiors, and underfloor components.[35] sustainability movement is also creating new business
Abaca fibre has been a prominent contender in the opportunities in the automobile industry. As a result, these
production of natural fiber composites among the natural fibers may be used as a bio fiber in environmentally
fibers available on the market. The improved characteristics of sustainable materials.[40] Natural fibers with recommended
the resultant composites have led to applications in a wide automotive applications are included in Table 2 based on
variety of automotive sectors.[36] Marichelvam's research on studies published in reputable journals.
the development of a new hybrid composite from palm sheath
and sugarcane bagasse fibers with epoxy resin shows these 3. Automobile companies adopting natural fibers
materials to be acceptable for vehicle dashboard applications 3.1 History of natural fibers in automobile industry
with superior mechanical properties.[37] Treated with silane, Ford is the first car manufacturer incorporated flax and straw
desmostachya bipinnata fibers are used to make composite into soy based panels. During 1990s wood floor and coconut
materials for low-weight and medium-load automotive shell fibers were used in the car interior parts. In 1994 R&D
component applications.[38] An attempt is made to investigate section of Mercedes Benz started using jute reinforced
the effect of milkweed, kusha grass, sisal, banana, and hay polymers for door panes in their E-Class car models. The
fibers combined with polypropylene to create a novel interior was designed with sisal/flax fibers resulted 20%
composite material. These composites are proved to be weight reduction of total vehicle. Same way Benz utilized
Table 2. Various studies published on natural fibers focusing on automobile applications.
Sl. No. Natural fibres used in the study Recommended Applications References
1 Flax plant fiber Vehicle bonnet [22]
2 Jute, coir, kenaf, flax, abaca, sisal, hemp Automobile application [23]
3 Caryota fiber Automotive components [24]
4 Leucas Aspera Brake pads [25]
5 Azadirachta indica Automobile application [26]
6 Flax Automobile hood [27]
7 Banana fibers with leather Automobile application [28]
8 Areca sheath Automobile dashboard panel [29]
9 Jute fibers Frontal bonnet of a vehicle [30]
10 Pineapple and cassava flour Automotive interior parts [31]
11 Flax fiber Vehicle bonnet [32]
12 Calotropis Procera Automobile interiors, and sports equipment [32]
13 Coconut flower cover fiber Automobile application [33]
14 Glass fibre with hemp fibre Automobile application [34]
Automobile components such as dash boards, door interiors,
15 Kenaf fibres [35]
and underfloor components
16 Abaca fibre Automobile application [36]
17 Palm sheath and sugarcane bagasse fibres Vehicle dashboard applications [37]
18 Demostachya Bipinnata Fibers Automotive component applications [38]
Milkweed, kusha grass, sisal, banana, and
19 Automobile application [39]
hay fibres
20 Sisal/kenaf fiber Automobile application [40]

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natural fibers in the preparation of components for Evobus, composites for their interior parts. DaimlerChrysler is
Setra Top-class cars and Travego Busses. In 1999, Mercedes involved in technology transfer initiative towards
Benz constituted 65% mixture of flax, hemp and sissal fibers sustainability using green materials. The business focused on
and 35% Baypreg semi-rigid elastomer from Beyer. Kenaf the use of natural resources over fossil fuels to foster global
fiber-based composites were widely used in the car interiors sustainability, where the production of a natural fiber-based
as reported by Ford Montero in 1996.[41] automotive supply chain will help farmers produce natural
fibers in the automotive industry. Another study reported the
3.2 Natural fiber composites: recent automotive trends use of natural fibers in railways for making berths, partitions,
Glass fiber-based composites have shown their ability to meet floor/roof panels and modular toilets.[43] Table 3 enlists widely
the structural and reliability requirements of vehicle exterior used natural fibers in automotive industry in the productions
and interior parts. Great mechanical properties have supported of various components.
in the inclusion of fiber glass-built up plastics inside the car Renewable raw materials and recycled plastic materials are
business. However, glass-fiber based plastics show employed in the Mercedes-Benz A-Class model (2018) to
deficiencies like their moderately high fiber thickness, trouble achieve a high degree of material utilization. A natural fiber
in machining, and poor reusing properties, and health issues mat, together with a thermosetting bonding agent is used in the
with these fibers. As a result of strict rules set by government, reinforcing frame of the sliding sunroof to replace the
automobile manufacturers are focusing on the environmental conventional sheet steel frame. This replacement saves
impact of a vehicle’s entire life cycle. Along with the resources and reduces weight by nearly half. DaimlerChrysler
automobile sector other sectors such as construction, is the leading European manufacturer to incorporate natural
aerospace and marine are also experiencing the increasing in fiber composite parts (Fig. 1) in their Mercedes-Benz
the natural fiber usage. European Union legislation set the vehicles.[49] For this model, jute fiber reinforced composites
benchmark in 2006 that has expedited bio fiber reinforced are used in door panels, flax for engine and gearbox covers,
plastic automotive insertion; by 2006, 80% of an automobile and other fibers such as abaca, hemp, sisal, and wool are
must be recycled or reusable and by 2015 it should be 85%. utilized for underbody panels, pillar inners, head liner, rear
Japan mandated 88% of a vehicle to be recyclable by 2005, cargo shelf, trunk components, and thermal insulation.[50]
rising to 95% by 2015. Natural fiber composite manufacturing Sports car manufacturer Porsche claimed in 2019 that the
has been pioneered by European companies such as BASF 718 Cayman GT4 Club sport racer was the world's first car to
(Germany), Dieffenbacher (Germany), and Rieter Automotive have exterior parts made of hemp and flax natural fiber–
(Switzerland). The eco-friendly drive is creating new trade reinforced composites. Recent investigations on NFRCs have
opportunities in the automotive sector.[42] expanded the potential automotive applications of NFRCs,
Polymer based natural fibers are predominantly used by such as flax/vinyl ester composites for hoods, kenaf/epoxy
German automakers to produce various components such as composites for spall liners, maple and pine flour reinforced
door panels, seat coverings, rear parcel shelf and damping & nylon with thermal stability for under hood parts, and
insulation parts etc. Toyota also uses sugar cane-based hemp/polypropelene composites resisting weathering for
Table 3. Natural fibers in automobile applications.[44-48]
Natural fibers Components in automobile
Door panel cover, covered, instrument panels, covered inserts, arm rests, seat
Flax
back panels,
Hemp Door panels, seat back panels, dashboard

Abaca Body panel, floor panel

Banana Wrapping paper

Jute Door panels, Dashboard

Coir Seat covers, Seat mattresses, mats,

Cotton Insulation material, sound proofing, trunk panel

Sisal/Flax Door linings, interior panels

Wood Flour door panels, arm rest,

Wool Upholstery, rear seat covers

Foamed instrument panels, seat back panels, fiber in the seatback cushions,
Wood
covered inserts and components, inserts,

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Fig. 1 New Mercedes-Benz A-Class and its parts made of natural fiber composites. Adapted from Daimler AG, 2018. Reproduced
with the permission form [49]. Copyright@Scientific Electronic Library Online.

interior and decking components and small parts. Bio- airflow better than single-layer fiber non-woven. Health risks
composites are employed in BMW's E-class and 7-series associated with glass and mineral-based fiber goods open the
vehicles in the interior components including the dashboard. door to the production of natural fiber-based sound absorbing
In the Audi A2 model, door trim panels are made of a blend of fabrics. Natural fibers with non-abrasive, porous, sturdy
sisal/flax fibres and polyurethane. Toyota aims to become the insulating, and hygroscopic properties could be used to make
number one brand by employing naturally accessible and inexpensive and long-lasting soundproofing fabrics for
sustainable products such as 100 percent bioplastics.[51] A team automobile, home appliances, and architectural applications.
from Kyoto University has demonstrated an outstanding and Natural fibers such as kenaf, sisal and jute are usually
sporty Nano Cellulose Vehicle (NCV) made of wood fibre at harvested annually and can be harvested two to three times a
the 46th Motor Show in 2019. This initiative attempts to year.[55]
ensure a 10% weight reduction in automobiles by 2020 in A schematic illustration of the sustainable features and
order to reduce CO2 emissions while retaining strength. An potentiality of natural fiber composites in automotive sector
NCV is the 'ultimate zero CO2 material vehicle' with a number presented in Fig. 2. Natural fibers also provide a cure for the
of body and interior parts constructed of Nano-Fibrillated discomfort caused by engines, exhaust systems, gears and
Cellulose (NFC), a future generation material that is one-fifth wheels generated in the form of noise, heat, and electrostatic
the weight of steel while being five times stronger than steel.[52] charges. The non-abrasive properties of natural fibers make
them a good choice in terms of protection, as natural fibers do
4. Environmental impact not produce sharp edges when deformed like glass fibers.
Vehicle companies have decided to make widespread use of Natural fibers have been manufactured in many developed
natural fibers for a variety of technological, economic, and nations, paving the way for employment, and reducing
environmental reasons. Natural fibers recyclable property environmental hazards. Degradation testing on natural fibers
decreases environmental impact by eliminating the need for a is a recent trend. Researchers have experimented on natural
specific production period, and chemicals indirectly mitigate fibers to calculate the rate of degradation and have discovered
adverse environmental impacts. They are also low-cost, that the percentage weight of fiber reinforcement improves
biodegradable, recyclable and environmentally friendly the rate of degradation. Biodegradability of natural fibers is
products. Natural fibers have the property of sound absorption considered to be the most significant and fascinating aspects
that can be derived from different plants.[53] Noise reduction is of their use in polymeric materials. The development of
possible using sound absorbing materials in various industries. advanced lightweight biomaterials composites that can replace
The ratio of the fiber mixture has a significant effect on the conventional synthetic structures or metals leads to techniques
sound absorption coefficient and the permeability of the air. being proposed to be used in automotive components.
The rate of sound absorption decreases as the percentage of Designing a mixture of lightweight and powerful heavy-duty
increased fiber in the polyester-cotton-bi component mixture composite panel construction can greatly affect the car's fuel
increases.[54] Similarly, multi-layer non-woven fiber resist consumption and decrease carbon dioxide emissions. Finally,

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Fig. 2 Sustainable features and potentiality of natural fiber composites in automotive sector.

they may contribute to an improvement in societal well-being mechanical properties of natural fibers. Fiber consistency and
and become widely used in the development of urban electric quality in the composite is also a major concern. Also, the fiber
vehicles because they are light and ecological. Bio composites diameter is not constant over its length, and often it is not fully
find various types of applications in the automotive sector, circular. Natural fibers have a low impact strength and a high
such as micro-car body shells, e-bikes, full-electric vehicles, fiber concentration causes defects in the composite. Poor
automotive interiors, structural frame parts.[56] fiber/matrix interface is a big difficulty for natural fiber-based
Natural fiber composites have tremendous potential for the composites. Fiber deterioration during composite
automotive industry as the market for lightweight and manufacturing leads to a poor durability, which can be
environmentally sustainable materials becomes higher. increased with up to a substantial amount of chemical
Studies suggest that natural fiber composites can lead to a cost treatment. Hemicellulose is the main component of the fiber
reduction of 20 per cent and a weight reduction of 30 per cent that absorbs moisture. Because of this, the fiber swells and
of the vehicle component. Studies have proved that the light often shrinks as it dries.[58]
weight components in automobile results in lower fuel Fibers require several treatments to address some of the
consumption, more recycling potential, and less noise.[57] shortcomings listed, including the improvement of interfacial
fiber/matrix adhesion. Scientific and technological efforts
5. Challenges in using natural fibers have been identified to support the technical and economic
The use of natural fibers in composite materials includes a advancement of crop quality and fiber performance, with the
variety of problems related to moisture absorption, durability, goal of providing new solutions. A lot of work has recently
weak interfacial fiber/matrix adhesion. These materials face been done to solve these issues in order to increase the
the vital challenge of degradation when exposed to the outdoor efficiency of NFRCs and their applications. Challenges in the
atmosphere. Various forms of degradation known include adhesives industry, including sustainable and environmentally
chemical, mechanical, climatic, and fire degradation. This friendly chemicals that allow bio-derived adhesives, recycling
results in weak fiber/matrix interface and reduces the strength and deboning, and adhesive application surface treatment
of the material. Bio degradation is caused by oxidation and approaches. The ability to adapt composite materials to
enzyme-reaction. As natural fibers are hydrophilic in nature, particular use is what sets them apart from other materials. In
they absorb moisture in the surrounding environment. It is terms of physical, electronic, and chemical properties,
controlled by the void content of natural fibers and the content composite biomaterials have several advantages over
of non-crystalline pieces. Rain, snow, dew, and ice are the conventional metallic and polymeric biomaterials.[59]
main sources of moisture. The moisture absorption activity of
natural fibers limits the outdoor use of NFPCs. Another 6. Conclusion
significant barrier to the use of natural fibers in various Natural fiber-based composite materials have recently caught
structural applications is their poor fire resistance. Color, odor the interest of the automotive industry for a variety of reasons,
and thermal degradation effects sometimes affect the including greater fuel efficiency in automobiles, cheaper and

© Engineered Science Publisher LLC 2022 Eng. Sci., 2022, 18, 1-10 | 7
Review article Engineered Science

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[42] H. Sreenivas, N. Krishnamurthy, G. Arpitha, International Author Information
Journal of Lightweight Materials and Manufacture, 2020, 3, 328-
337, doi: 10.1016/j.ijlmm.2020.05.003.
Venkatesh Naik holds MTech Degree from National Institute
[43] M. Haq, A. Raina, R. Kumar, A. Anand, International
Journal of Sustainable Engineering, 2019, 12, 212-220, doi: of Technology Karnataka (NITK), in Mechatronics
10.1080/19397038.2018.1538267. engineering. He earned his Bachelor of
[44] S. Witayakran, W. Smitthipong, R. Wangpradid, R. Engineering (BE) in Mechanical
Chollakup, P. Clouston, Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering from Dr. Ambedkar Institute
2017, 166-174, doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-803581-8.04180-1. of Technology, Bengaluru. He has
[45] J. Holbery, D. Houston, JOM, 2006, 58, 80-86, doi: registered for PhD under Visvesvaraya
10.1007/s11837-006-0234-2.
Technological University (VTU). His
[46] A. Ramdhonee, P. Jeetah, Journal of Environmental
research interests include Natural fiber
Chemical Engineering, 2017, 5, 4298-4306, doi:
10.1016/j.jece.2017.08.011. composites, Smart materials, and Fluid power systems. He is
[47] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. currently working as an Assistant Professor at Mechanical
Unlocking the Commercial Potential of Natural Fibers;Food and Engineering Department, CMR Institute of Technology,
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy, Bengaluru, India.
2012.
[48] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Mohan Kumar K holds M.Tech Degree
Common Fund for Commodities. In Proceedings of the from SJC Institute of Technology,
Symposium on Natural Fibers, 2008. Chickaballapura, Karnataka in Machine
[49] B. Barba, J. Madrid, P. Penaloza, Journal of the Chilean Design. He earned his Bachelor of
Chemical Society, 2020, 65, doi: 10.4067/s0717- Engineering (B.E) in Mechanical
97072020000204919. Engineering from Dr. T Thimmaiah
[50] A. G. Daimler, New Mercedes-Benz A-class: Institute of Technology, Kolar Gold Field
Environmental Certificate for the A-class (2018) (KGF), Karnataka. He has registered for PhD under
[51] M. Li, Y. Pu, V. Thomas, C. Yoo, S. Ozcan, Y. Deng, K. Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi,
Nelson, A. Ragauskas, Composites Part B: Engineering, 2020, Karnataka. His research interest is on Polymer composite
200, 108254, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2020.108254. materials using natural fibers (short fiber, long fiber &
[52] S. M. Sapuan and R. A. Ilyas, Biocomposite and Synthetic particulate) and synthetic fibers. He is currently working as
Composites for Automotive Applications, Woodhead Publishing an Assistant Professor at Mechanical Engineering

© Engineered Science Publisher LLC 2022 Eng. Sci., 2022, 18, 1-10 | 9
Review article Engineered Science

Department, MVJ College of Engineering, Bengaluru,

Karnataka.

Vijayananda Kaup's domain of interest is

kinematics and dynamics of machines, and
design of machine components. He has 10
years of experience as a professor in
technical colleges and universities. Prior
to moving to academics, he has worked in
several OEMs like Rolls-Royce, Toshiba,
General Electric Company, Microsoft Corporation and so on.
He received his MS and PhD from Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore. His research interests are structural kinematics,
new materials and new energy sources.

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