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Bio-Based Natural Fiber Composite Materials

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2026) | Viewed by 7184

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sheldon Shi

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Guest Editor

Mechanical Engineering Department, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: bioproducts; natural fiber composites; functional composites; biomass to carbon conversion; bio-based carbon for electrode
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xuan Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant

Mechanical Engineering Department, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: biocomposites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is designed to update the state-of-the-art technologies regarding bio-based composite products from biomass, such as wood, agriculture stem, and other natural fibers. We are welcoming any papers related to (but not limit to) the following subjects:

Fiber retting: Technologies to convert biomass and agricultural bast into the fibers, including the mechanical retting, bacterial retting, chemical retting, and other techniques.
Natural fiber characterizations: The physical and mechanical properties of different natural fibers including wood, kenaf, hemp, cotton, wheat straw, bamboo, sisal, flex, and others.
Fiber treatments: (1) To enhance the interfacial bonding of the fibers and the performance of the resulting composites; (2) to functionalize the fibers for functional composite products.
Bio-based resin, including, tannin, protein, soy, and other plant-based adhesives, used for the bio-based composites.
Bioproducts manufacturing: Processing techniques for both structural and non-structural natural fiber composites.
Physical and mechanical properties, including decay resistant, biodegradability, mechanical performance, and physical performance (thermal, sound, and others) of the natural fiber composites.
Bioproducts applications for automobile, building, transportation, aerospace, and others.
Biomass to carbon conversion processes, biocarbon activation, as well as their applications, including water filtration and bio-electrodes.
The life cycle analysis (LCA) of bioproducts

Prof. Dr. Sheldon Shi
Guest Editor

Dr. Xuan Wang
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

bioproducts
natural fiber
functional composites
wood
bio-based carbon
life cycle assessment (LCA)

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 609 KB

Open AccessArticle

Tensile Strength Characterization of Alkaline-Treated and Untreated Banana Fibres Using Weibull Statistics

by Maryam Sodagar, Nassim Edouard Lagrou and Thomas Gries

Materials 2025, 18(21), 4833; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18214833 - 22 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1017

Abstract

Banana fibres (BFs), derived from the pseudo-stems of Musa acuminata, represent a widely available agricultural residue with strong potential as an eco-friendly reinforcement in composite materials—particularly in bio-based epoxy or thermoplastic systems used in automotive interiors, packaging, and lightweight construction. However, their inherent variability presents challenges for consistent and reliable mechanical characterisation. This study investigates the effect of wood ash treatment, an eco-friendly alternative to conventional alkaline processing, on the tensile strength of single BFs. Fibres were treated in aqueous wood ash solutions at two pH levels (12.4 and 13.5) and soaking durations of 3 h and 24 h, and then tested according to ASTM C1557. At least 50 valid tensile tests per series were performed, and the results were analysed using a two-parameter Weibull distribution to quantify characteristic strength and variability, complemented by reliability analysis to assess survival probability. Untreated fibres exhibited low characteristic strength (396.6 MPa) and a Weibull modulus of 1.79, confirming significant scatter. Treated fibres showed marked improvements: the highest characteristic strength was achieved at pH 13.5 for 3 h (552.8 MPa, m = 3.17), while the greatest uniformity was observed at pH 13.5 for 24 h (m = 4.62). Reliability curves confirmed superior performance of treated fibres, with 75% survival strengths up to 373 MPa compared to 198 MPa for untreated. These findings demonstrate that wood ash treatment enhances both the strength and reliability of BFs for sustainable composite applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Natural Fiber Composite Materials)

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15 pages, 4826 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Silane Surface Treatments on the Interfacial Shear Strength Between Cotton Yarn and Poly(Lactic Acid) Resin

by Gyu Hyeon Kim, Young Soo Cho, Gye Hwa Shin and Jun Tae Kim

Materials 2025, 18(19), 4582; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18194582 - 2 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1071

Abstract

This study explores the enhancement of mechanical properties in cotton yarn-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biocomposites, aimed at providing a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The primary challenge addressed is the low interfacial shear strength (ISFF) between the hydrophilic cotton yarn and the hydrophobic PLA matrix. To overcome this, cotton yarn surface was chemically modified using silane treatment. Cotton yarns were aligned on a metal frame and treated with hydrolyzed silane solutions at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% (w/v) for 3 h. Although the tensile stress of the cotton yarn decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with higher silane concentrations, from 520.46 MPa (untreated) to 340.88 MPa (4% silane-treated), the IFSS improved significantly (p < 0.05) from 5.63 MPa to 12.12 MPa. Consequently, the tensile stress of the cotton yarn/PLA biocomposites increased significantly (p < 0.05), from 20.74 MPa (untreated) to 41.58 MPa (4% silane-treated). This is because the increased IFSS achieved through silane treatment allowed the PLA polymer to more firmly connect adjacent cotton fibers, resulting in maximum strength. FTIR and SEM analyses confirmed successful surface modification of the cotton yarn. These findings demonstrate that silane treatment effectively enhances interfacial bonding between cotton yarn and PLA resin, leading to improved mechanical performance of the biocomposites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Natural Fiber Composite Materials)

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14 pages, 2676 KB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Comparative Study on the Mechanical Behavior of Flax and Glass Fiber Multiaxial Fabric-Reinforced Epoxy Composites

by Carsten Uthemann and Thomas Gries

Materials 2025, 18(19), 4469; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18194469 - 25 Sep 2025

Viewed by 1217

Abstract

This study presents a comparative investigation of the mechanical performance of epoxy-based composites reinforced with ±45° multiaxial non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) made from natural flax fibers and conventional glass fibers. Flax fibers, despite their attractive sustainability profile and favorable specific mechanical properties, are typically processed into twisted yarns for textile reinforcement, which compromises fiber alignment and reduces composite performance. A novel yarn-free flax NCF was developed using false twist stabilization of aligned slivers to eliminate the negative effects of yarn twist. Composite laminates were manufactured via vacuum-assisted resin infusion (VARI) under identical processing conditions for both flax- and glass-based reinforcements and tested for tensile, compressive, and flexural behavior. The results show that, although glass fiber composites exhibit superior absolute strength and stiffness, flax-based NCF composites offer competitive specific properties and benefit significantly from improved fiber alignment compared to yarn-based variants. This work provides a systematic comparison under standardized conditions and confirms the mechanical feasibility of flax NCFs for semi-structural lightweight applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Natural Fiber Composite Materials)

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16 pages, 4240 KB

Open AccessArticle

Milkweed Fiber Nonwovens for Sustainable Thermal and Acoustic Building Insulation

by Deborah Lupescu, Mathieu Robert and Said Elkoun

Materials 2025, 18(16), 3821; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163821 - 14 Aug 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1146

Abstract

This study investigates the use of a local fiber, specifically milkweed that grows in Quebec, Canada, for nonwoven building applications. Milkweed is a natural fiber with an ultra-lightweight hollow structure that provides excellent acoustic and thermal insulation properties. To provide three-dimensional stability to nonwovens, milkweed fibers were blended with a low-melt fiber composed of a polyethylene terephthalate core and a polyolefin sheath (LM 2.2), and polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. Several nonwovens with different fiber contents were manufactured using an air-laid Spike process. The nonwovens were compared with a commercially available thermal insulation material made of 100% hemp. The thermal conductivity and thermal resistance were measured at different temperatures. The sound absorption coefficient of the nonwovens was determined both using an impedance tube and the Johnson–Champoux–Allard (JCA) acoustic model. The results showed that all nonwovens exhibit thermal conductivity values below 70 mW/m·K at temperatures ranging from −4 °C to 24 °C, which are lower than many materials commonly used in building applications. A sample presented a thermal resistance that is 8%, 10%, and 45% higher than those of rock wool, polyisocyanurate (PIR), and fiberglass, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Natural Fiber Composite Materials)

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10 pages, 2282 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Bacterial and Thermochemical Retting of Hemp

by Yu Fu, Hongmei Gu, H. Felix Wu and Sheldon Q. Shi

Materials 2024, 17(16), 4164; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17164164 - 22 Aug 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1817

Abstract

The processes of hemp bast fiber retting, forming, and drying offer the opportunity for value-added products such as natural fiber-reinforced composites. A new process for the retting of raw bast fibers through enzyme-triggered self-cultured bacterial retting was developed in the lab-scale setup. This study focused on comparing the energy consumption and environmental impacts of this bacterial retting process with the thermochemical retting process currently widely used to obtain lignocellulosic fibers for composites. The gate-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) models of the two retting processes were constructed to run a comparison analysis using the TRACI (the tool for the reduction and assessment of chemical and other environmental impacts) method for environmental impacts and the cumulative energy demand (CED) method for energy consumptions. This work has demonstrated the advantages of the bacterial retting method from an environmental standpoint. The result of our research shows about a 24% gate-to-gate reduction in CED for bacterial retting and 20–25% lower environmental impacts relating to global warming, smog formation, acidification, carcinogenics, non-carcinogenics, respiratory effects, ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion when compared to that of thermochemical retting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Natural Fiber Composite Materials)

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