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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.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase change material (PCM) has been recognized as one of the important element in the energy storage and conservation management. PCM and its combination has been widely used in many applications and significant number of literatures has been published to highlight the potential use of PCM as thermal energy storage (TES) material. However, although the information is quantitatively enormous and the application of waste has becoming a trending subject nowadays, documented researches on PCM material derived from waste material are still very scarce. Therefore, in this paper, in-depth reviews on the implementation of potential waste materials in PCM considering its purposes in improving the TES performance, economic values and environment were reviewed and elaborated. Overall, this review shows potential utilization of waste materials as a new material substitute to produce an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly PCM in the future TES system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]