Life cycle assessment Fibre-reinforced composites

Xu, X., Jayaraman, K., Morin, C., and Pecqueux, N. (2008) Life cycle assessment of wood-fibre-reinforced polypropylene composites. J. Mater. Process. Technol., 198 (1-3), 168-177. 

For consumers, natural fibre composites in automobiles provide better thermal and acoustic insulation than fibre glass and reduce irritation of the skin and respiratory system. The low density of plant fibres also reduces vehicle weight, which cuts fuel consumption [72]. Alves et al. [73] studied the life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis of the replacement of glass fibres by jute fibres as reinforcement of composite materials to produce automotive structural components in the structural frontal bonnet of an off-road vehicle (Buggy). 

The chapter demonstrates that in spite of the incompatibility between hydrophilic natural fibres and hydrophobic polymeric matrices, the properties of natural fibre composites can be enhanced through chemical modifications. The chemical treatments have therefore played a key role in the increased applications of natural fibre composites in the automotive sector. Recent work has also shown that if some of the drawbacks of natural fibres can be adequately addressed, these materials can easily replace glass fibres in many applications. The chapter has also shown that there have been attempts to use natural fibre composites in structural applications, an area which has been hitherto the reserve of synthetic fibres like glass and aramid. The use of polymer nanocomposites in applications of natural fibre-reinforced composites, though at infancy, may provide means to address these efficiencies. Evidence-based life-cycle assessment of natural fibre-reinforced composites is required to build confidence in the green composites applications in automotive sector. 

Dissanayake, N.P.J., Summerscales, J., Grove, S.M., Singh, M.M., 2009h. Life cycle impact assessment of flax fibre for the reinforcement of composites. Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy 3 (3), 245—248. 

N. Dissanayake, J. Summerscales, S. Grove, and M. Singh, Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Flax Fibre for the Reinforcement of Composites. J. Biobased Mater. Bioenerg. 3, 245-248 (2009). 

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