Natural fibre composites (NFCs) for construction and automotive industries

Abstract This chapter focuses on natural fibre composites (NFCs) in which the matrix materials are polymeric resins. NFCs are composite materials comprising at least one major component derived from a renewable biological origin. Fundamentals of NFC materials are discussed in terms of reinforcement preforms, matrix resins, composite manufacturing techniques, characterization and quality assurance. Since NFC material based on renewable resources can provide viable low-cost structural components and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional structural materials for automotive and construction applications, the newly emerging bio-based structural composite materials for construction and automotive industry application are also considered. In this second edition, the fracture toughness enhanced NFCs by interlaminar reinforcement techniques for these structural applications are discussed.