Natural fibre composites interfacial adhesion

The previous three sections involved the treatment of natural fibres by removing substances from the natural fibres. This section, however, describes a new modification that does not involve the removal but the addition of new material onto the surface of natural fibres. This type of modification involves the deposition of nanosized cellulosic materials onto the surface of natural fibres to enhance the interfacial adhesion between the fibres and the matrix [9,10,14,104]. By doing so, a hierarchical structure can be created. These works were inspired by nature. Nature maximises the efficiency of structural materials by creating hierarchical stmctures the arrangement of the constituents at every level, from the molecular level to the macroscopic level. By applying this concept, composites that possess a hierarchical structure with improved mechanical properties can be manufactured. 

Another important aspect is the moisture content of natural fibres. These fibres are hydrophilic and absorb water. The moisture content can be as high as 20%, but in most cases it will be in the range of 5-10%. Lack of good interfacial adhesion with the polymer phase, due to the inherently poor compatibility and the ability of the hydrophilic cellulose fibres to disperse with the hydrophobic resins, makes the use of cellulose-based fibre-reinforced composites less attractive. During processing, the presence of water can create voids in the matrix and also lead to a poor adhesion of the fibres with the hydrophobic resin. The hydrophilic nature of natural fibres can be a problem in the finished composites as well. 

However, lack of good interfacial adhesion, low melting point, and poor resistance towards moisture make the use of natural fibre-reinforced composites less attractive. Pre-treatments of the natural fibre can clean the fibre surface, chemically modify the surface, stop the moisture absorption process and increase the surface roughness. Among the various pre-treatment techniques, graft copolymerization and plasma treatment are the best methods for surface modification of natural fibres. Graft copolymers of natural fibres with vinyl monomers provide better adhesion between matrix and fibre. 

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