Natural and wood fibre reinforcement in polymers - Bledzki, A. K. (Rapra Technology Ltd., 2002)
Includes bibliographical references and index
Survey of Natural Fibre Composites; Cellulose Based Fibres; Methods of Surface Treatment of Natural and Wood Fibres; Processing of Natural Fibre Reinforced Plastics; Properties of Natural and Wood Fibre Composites; Biologically Degradable Composite Materials; Applications of Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymers; Recent Developments in Naturaland Wood Fibre Reinforcementof Polymers; Conclusion; Additional References; Abbreviations and Acronyms; Abstracts from the Polymer Library Database; Subject Index
Natural fibres have been used to reinforce materials for over 3,000 years. More recently they have been employed in combination with plastics. One of the earliest examples (1950) was the East German Trabant car, the body was constructed from polyester reinforced with cotton fibres. Currently many types of natural fibre are being investigated for use in plastics including: flax, hemp, jute, straw, wood fibre, rice husks, wheat, barley, oats, rye, cane (sugar and bamboo), grass, reeds, kenaf, ramie, oil palm empty fruit bunch sisal, coir, water hyacinth, pennywort, kapok, paper-mulberry, raphia