Sustainable Natural Fiber Composites

This book focuses on the use of natural fiber composites (NFCs) in the automotive industry. The new race in the automotive industry is no longer speed, but rather low weight and sustainable. Major automakers and component suppliers are now shifting to natural fiber reinforcements for their composite components as a sustainable and lightweight alternative to conventional, synthetic reinforcements. The main object of this book is to bridge the gap between academic literature and actual industry practices, and to provide a comprehensive and integrated review on the use of NFC in the automotive industry from composite fabrication to recycling. The book focuses on the major areas of interest to academic researchers, such as the history of NFC in the automotive industry, specific types of materials used, material qualification programs, major technical challenges facing NFC, major processing techniques and parameters, analysis of major NFC parts used and their performance requirements, sustainability assessments including life cycle assessment and carbon footprint, and future trends.

The book covers such diverse topics as cellulose fibers in cement paste and concrete, biodegradable materials for dental applications, coconut and pineapple fiber composites, biodegradable plastic composites, durability against fatigue and moisture, physical and mechanical characterization of fiber composites, improving the hydrophobic nature of fiber composites, and hybrid natural fiber composites. Keywords: Fiber Reinforced Composites, Biodegradable Composites, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cellulose Fibers, Coconut Fibers, Biocomposites, Resol-Vegetable Fibers, Pineapple Natural Fiber Composite, Dental Applications, Cement Paste, Concrete, Thermoplasticity, Fatigue, Moisture, Thermal Conductivity.

Comprehensive introduction to composites from natural and recycled biomaterialsCovers fabrication, mechanical analysis and modeling of green compositesNew ideas for cost-effective alternative matrices, fibers and additivesApplications to construction, automotive, and civil engineering An important contribution to the evolution of composites technology, this book is a systematic investigation of how natural biomaterials are used to create cost-effective and environmentally sound composites for commercial use. The book shows how a wide range of plant- and animal-based materials are integrated into the design and fabrication of matrices and reinforcements for polymeric and other types of composites. In addition, a focus is placed on modeling and mechanical analyses of biobased composites, providing valuable data on their performance. Sustainable composites are shown to be viable alternatives for manufactured components in automotive, civil engineering and construction applications.

Sustainable and Nonconventional Construction Materials Using Inorganic Bonded Fiber Composites presents a concise overview of non-conventional construction materials with a strong focus on alternative inorganic bonded fiber composites and their applications as construction components. It outlines the processing and characterization of non-conventional cementitious composites, which will be of great benefit to both academic and industrial professionals interested in research, development, and innovation on inorganic bonded fiber composites. The book gives a comprehensive review of the innovative research associated with building components based on inorganic bonded composites. Exploring both natural fibers as reinforcing elements and alternative inorganic binders based on agricultural and industrial wastes, this book also considers the performance and applications of fibrous composites as construction materials and components. Dedicated to analyzing recent developments in inorganic fiber composites research Discusses the broader subjects of processing, characterization, performance, and applications of non-conventional construction materials

Materials Selection for Natural Fiber Composites covers the use of various tools and techniques that can be applied for natural fiber composite selection to expand the sustainable design possibilities and support cleaner production requirements. These techniques include the analytical hierarchy process, knowledge-based system, Java based materials selection system, artificial neural network, Pugh selection method, and the digital logic technique. Information on related topics, such as materials selection and design, natural fiber composites, and materials selection for composites are discussed to provide background information to the main topic. Current developments in selecting the natural fiber composite material system, including the natural fiber composites and their constituents (fibers and polymers) is the main core of the book, with in detailed sections on various technical, environmental and economic issues to enhance both environmental indices and the industrial sustainability theme. Recent developments on the analytical hierarchy process in natural fiber composite materials selection, materials selection for natural fiber composites, and knowledge based system for natural fiber composite materials selection are also discussed. Focuses on materials selection for natural fiber composites Covers potential tools and techniques, such as analytical hierarchy process, knowledge-based systems, Java-based materials selection system, artificial neural network, the Pugh selection method and digital logic technique Contains contributions from leading experts in the field

Advanced High Strength Natural Fibre Composites in Construction provides the basic framework and knowledge required for the efficient and sustainable use of natural fiber composites as a structural and building material, along with information on the ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of use and competitiveness of these composites. Areas of particular interest include understanding the nature and behavior of raw materials and their functional contributions to the advanced architectures of high strength composites (Part 1), discussing both traditional and novel manufacturing technologies for various advanced natural fiber construction materials (Part 2), examining the parameters and performance of the composites (Part 3), and finally commenting on the associated codes, standards, and sustainable development of advanced high strength natural fiber composites for construction. This exposition will be based on well understood environmental science as it applies to construction (Part 4). The book is aimed at academics, research scholars, and engineers, and will serve as a most valuable text or reference book that challenges undergraduate and postgraduate students to think beyond standard practices when designing and creating novel construction materials. Presents the first comprehensive review on the efficient and sustainable use of natural fiber composites in construction and building materials Contains detailed information on the structure, chemical composition, and physical and mechanical properties of natural fibers Covers both traditional and novel manufacturing technologies for high strength natural fiber composites Includes material parameters and performance in use, as well as associated codes, standards, and applied case studies Presents contributions from leading international experts in the field

The book explores the pertinent aspects of sustainability of green and eco-friendly composites including their development methods and processing, characterization, properties, and applications. Significance for the design and engineering of high-performance green and eco-friendly composites is discussed in the present book. Insights on a wide spectrum of potential advanced applications ranging from automotive and aerospace to biomedical and packaging, etc. using these are highlighted. Further, it discusses life cycle and carbon footprint assessment of sustainable materials. Features: Explores different processing methods of green and eco-friendly composites Discusses development and optimization of green nanocomposites for sustainable manufacturing Collates modern green and eco-friendly composites research from theory to application Covers hybridization of reinforced fibers on the performance of green and eco-friendly composites Analyzes and discusses calculation of carbon footprint and Life Cycle Assessment of composites This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers in materials science and engineering, sustainable materials, composites, and nanomaterials.

The book covers such diverse topics as cellulose fibers in cement paste and concrete, biodegradable materials for dental applications, coconut and pineapple fiber composites, biodegradable plastic composites, durability against fatigue and moisture, physical and mechanical characterization of fiber composites, improving the hydrophobic nature of fiber composites, and hybrid natural fiber composites. Keywords: Fiber Reinforced Composites, Biodegradable Composites, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cellulose Fibers, Coconut Fibers, Biocomposites, Resol-Vegetable Fibers, Pineapple Natural Fiber Composite, Dental Applications, Cement Paste, Concrete, Thermoplasticity, Fatigue, Moisture, Thermal Conductivity.