Enhancement of Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Using Different Approaches—A Review

Natural fibers have become increasingly popular owing to their affordability, environmental friendliness, and renewability. Owing to their abundance and low density, they have gained attention in their use as reinforcements in polymer composites. However, untreated natural fiber composites have several disadvantages, including higher water absorption, low-to-moderate mechanical properties, and challenges with fiber-to-matrix adhesion. To address these drawbacks, various approaches have been employed, such as the chemical treatment of natural fibers, fiber hybridization, and the incorporation of nanoparticles/fillers. Chemical treatment enhances the interfacial bonding with the polymer matrix by different mechanisms. Hybridization enhances the mechanical properties of composites by leveraging the advantages of individual fibers. The incorporation of nanoparticles enhances the mechanical properties and various other properties due to a significant increase in interfacial interaction, which is a result of the increased surface area of nanoparticles.