Advanced composites across industrial sectors: Applications, innovations, and sustainable direction

Advanced composite materials, encompassing metal matrix composites, polymer matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites, and natural fiber composites, are increasingly vital in aerospace, automotive, construction, and energy sectors due to their high strength-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, and multifunctional potential. Metal matrix composites reinforced with SiC, Al 2 O 3 , TiB 2 , or B 4 C exhibit tensile strengths ranging from 200 to 500 MPa, Young's modulus of 70–100 GPa, and improved wear resistance, while polymer matrix composites with hybrid nano- and micron-scale reinforcements achieve 150–200 MPa tensile strength and enhanced recyclability. Ceramic matrix composites, such as SiC or Si 3 N 4 composites, retain structural integrity at temperatures exceeding 1600 °C, making them suitable for turbine and aerospace applications. Natural fiber composites, derived from flax, hemp, jute, and kenaf, offer eco-friendly alternatives, with tensile strengths up to 205 MPa and improved energy absorption for automotive and construction applications. This review presents a bibliometric analysis of over 10,000 publications, highlighting global research trends, emerging reinforcements, and sector-specific adoption patterns. Life cycle assessment metrics demonstrate that recycled carbon fibers reduce CO 2 emissions from 24 to 31 kg CO 2 eq/kg to ∼10.5 kg CO 2 eq/kg, while biobased composites further lower embodied energy. Advances in additive manufacturing, automated fiber placement, and Industry 4·0 technologies, including IoT-enabled monitoring and machine learning-based defect detection, are improving process reliability and reducing scrap rates by 15%–30%. By integrating quantitative mechanical, environmental, and manufacturing data, this review provides engineers and academics with actionable insights for material selection, design optimization, and sustainable implementation of advanced composites, bridging knowledge gaps and guiding future research priorities.