An overview of recent trends and future prospects of sustainable natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites for tribological applications

The concern for plastics pollution, awareness of sustainability, and necessities of high-performance materials for modern industries have stimulated the world towards the advancement of natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites. The review aimed to explore the tribological behaviour of natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites and identify the characteristics of natural fiber-based polymeric composites. The different manufacturing techniques, tribological characteristics and applications of natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites are outlined. Moreover, the review critically summarized the impact of fiber characteristics and treatments on the performance of natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites. The advances and approaches to enhance the performances of the natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites are summarized. The work presented the recent progress allied with several aspects of natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites. The discussions for the life cycle assessments and degradation of the natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites are provided. The treatment of the fibers with suitable reagents removes the wax, lignin, cellulose, impurities, etc., thereby enhances the compatibility between the reinforcement and matrix. Moreover, the reinforcement of fibers in polymers improves the strength and wear resistance of the composites. The life cycle assessments have reported that natural fiber-based polymeric composites have a lower environmental impact in comparison to conventional composites. The review has explored the prospects of sustainable natural fiber-based polymeric composites for tribological applications includes; floor tiles, instrumental panels of automobiles, house elements, car bumpers, doors and window panels, etc. This review has provided several vital information on advanced natural fiber-based composites for their prospective tribological conditions. The review is beneficial for the promotion of sustainability in modern industries and is advantageous for techno-eco and environmental points of view. The review will assist the researcher in working for the advancement of composites and practitioners involved in the domain of sustainability and environmental issues.