Biobased Composites An Overview

Gatenholm et al. [23] studied the nature of adhesion in the composites of modified cellulose fibers and pol)q ropylene. Biofibers were surface-modified 

The surface energy of fibers is closely related to the hydrophilicity of the fiber [6]. Some investigations are concerned with methods to decrease the hydrophilicity. The modification of wood-cellulose fibers with stearic acid [10] hydrophobizes those fibers and improves their dispersion in polypropylene. As can be observed in jute reinforced polyester composites, treatment with polyvinylacetate increases the mechanical properties [10] and moisture repel-lence [60]. Several similar investigations on biobased composites based on thermoplastic and thermoset matrices have been reported by several authors [61-63]. Some of the major findings based on the authors own experimental investigations are discussed in the following sections. 

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