Thermal Analysis and Activation Energies of Natural Fibers as a Sustainable Reinforcement Material for Green Composites: A Comprehensive Review

Nowadays, as environmental awareness is increasing, people are turning towards use of natural materials as they are biodegradable, low cost, eco-friendly and also safe for health. Researchers and academicians have found many natural fibers and studied their properties for their sustainable applications in various possible sectors, and studies are also going on. So, in that context several natural fiber like jute, sisal, banana, pineapple, flax, hemp, kenaf, bamboo, cornstalk waste, coir, etc. have been successfully utilized as a reinforcing material in polymer composites by replacing man made synthetic fiber. Apart from traditional natural fibers scientific community is looking for locally available natural materials for successful reinforcement in polymer matrix. This will decrease burden on traditional fibers and also at the same time it would be helpful to boost the rural economy. Natural fiber based composites can be used in different areas such as auto motive industry, construction industry, sports industry and food industry. In this study this paper is associate with review extraction, characterization, thermal analysis and activation energy of various previously studied natural fibers.