Polymers have become not only an indispensable part of present-day civilization but also have created a kind of threat to the natural environment and lives of several living beings. There is thus a challenge for polymer scientists of developing new materials using renewable resources and sustainable technologies for converting wastes into useful and environmentally benign products. In this context, polymer composites utilizing natural fibres and agricultural wastes as reinforcing fillers into various polymeric materials have gained enormous research interest during the last decades. In this paper, we will shed light on structure-properties correlation of composite materials comprising thermosetting resins (such as epoxy resin), thermoplastics (such as copolyester and polyolefins) and elastomers (such as natural rubber) and some locally available natural fibres (such as lignocelluloses, chitin, chitosan) and nanofillers. The biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has been found to offer particularly interesting alternatives to producing compostable composites materials. Also, the influence of fibre treatment on the properties of the composites was studied. It was shown that the morphology and mechanical properties of the composites can be tailored over a wide range although the materials were found to be suited for low load bearing applications.

Biomass-based and compostable polymer composites: Structure-properties correlations

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