AUTHOR=Thomason James L. , Rudeiros-Fernández José Luis 

TITLE=A Review of the Impact Performance of Natural Fiber Thermoplastic Composites

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Materials

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/articles/10.3389/fmats.2018.00060

DOI=10.3389/fmats.2018.00060

ISSN=2296-8016

ABSTRACT=<p>Many academic studies continue to conclude that natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (NFTCs) have some potential to compete with mineral/inorganic fiber and filler reinforced composites in certain applications due to their distinctive characteristics. NFTCs are often presented as a more environmentally friendly product which may, in some cases, offer useful levels of specific strength and stiffness with an overall reduced carbon footprint. However, from an end-use composite performance viewpoint, issues with impact resistance (notched and un-notched) continue to hold back the large-scale implementation of these composites. This paper presents a review of the recent work on impact properties of NFTCs, analysing the effects of fundamental composite parameters and potential routes to improvement.</p>