Emerging Trends in Green Polymer Based Composite Materials: Properties, Fabrication and Applications

Composite materials showed improved properties compared to metal and polymer materials that made the composites used as parts of the structures. On the other side, fiber-reinforced polymers are primarily manufactured from synthetic fibers, like glass or paper, and petro-chemical thermosetting resin or matrix. An emerging field of high-performance natural fibers, especially Bast fibers (including flax, hemp, and jute), is gaining interest in this context, and is immediately attractive. Therefore, the industry includes many significant innovations at every stage of composite production which extends from the fibers and their precursors or preforms to the manufacturing processes and associated industries. There are plenty of developments on the market across the value chain, with most advancement in the composites industry concentrating on performance enhancement and cost benefits. This chapter includes an overview of emerging trends in fabrication and characterization of green polymer-based composite materials.