Classification of Polymer Composites Reinforced with Natural Fibers

2 Classification of Polymer Composites Reinforced with Natural Fibers 

On the other hand, polymer reinforced with natural fibers for construction applications could be classified according to its application as structural or nonstructural composite. A structural natural fiber composite can be defined as one that is needed to carry a load in use. Structural panels and unit beams [21], roof systems [22] and in some cases wood and engineered wood products [10, 22], are examples of structural composites. Performance of structural composites ranges broadly from high-performance to low-performance materials. As mentioned above, polymer reinforced with natural 

2 Portland Cement Matrix Reinforced with Natural Fibers for Construction Applications 

Moreover in recent years, several researchers around the world have invested great efforts in the use natural fibers as a replacement for asbestos fibers, in order to take advantage of their availability, low cost and low energy consumption during production [30, 31, 34, 35, 38-41, 48-57, 61-64]. The use of natural fibers to reinforce fragile matrices as cement mortar and concrete, represents an interesting possibility because 

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