Mechanical properties of natural fiber reinforced epoxy composites: A review

Natural fibers have been in researchers’ attention these days for their low cost, availability, ease of manufacturing and potential environment friendliness for studying their feasibility as reinforcing agents in composites. Numerous research works are being carried out across the globe to increase the thermal, tribological as well as mechanical properties of these engineered biocomposites and they have proved their potential in wide range of applications including bio-medical and bio-technological fields. This review aims to discuss the mechanical properties attained by the composite after natural fiber reinforcement and the various factors affecting the mechanical properties of the natural fiber composites (NFCs). It also focuses on the applicability of natural fibers as a substitute for synthetic fibers in large domain of application.