Paper Title
Natural Fibers and its Composites for Engineering Applications: An Overview
Abstract
In recent days, researchers, engineers and scientists are attracted towards the use of natural fibers in the
manufacturing of composites because of their low cost, abundant, renewable, better formability and eco-friendly features.
Although, other fibers are explored in lab scales they have not yet found large-scale commercial applications. Natural fibers
have good mechanical strength; lesser weight leads to demand for applications in engineering field. Based on the
sustainability benefits, natural fibers are now being rapidly replacing synthetic fibers in composites and also finds wide
applications ranging from automotive applications to textile manufacturers who are focusing utilizing natural fibers as raw
materials to improve their arts and skills in their industries. In this review paper an effort has been made to carry a literature
review on natural fibers such as plant, animal and mineral fibers and their properties. Additionally, this review article also
discusses the use of natural fibers in composites and in some engineering applications.
Index terms: Natural fibers, Plant fiber, Animal fiber, Mineral fiber, Natural fiber composites