Centre for Machining and Materials Testing, KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Natural Composites Research Group Lab, Department of Materials and Production Engineering, The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Bangkok, Thailand.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 5):127237. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127237. Epub 2023 Oct 5.
Lignocellulosic fiber-reinforced polymer composites are the most extensively used modern-day materials with low density and better specific strength specifically developed to render better physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Synthetic fiber-reinforced composites face some serious issues like low biodegradability, non-environmentally friendly, and low disposability. Lignocellulosic or natural fiber-reinforced composites, which are developed from various plant-based fibers and animal-based fibers are considered potential substitutes for synthetic fiber composites because they are characterized by lightweight, better biodegradability, and are available at low cost. It is very much essential to study end-of-life (EoL) conditions like biodegradability for the biocomposites which occur commonly after their service life. During biodegradation, the physicochemical arrangement of the natural fibers, the environmental conditions, and the microbial populations, to which the natural fiber composites are exposed, play the most influential factors. The current review focuses on a comprehensive discussion of the standards and assessment methods of biodegradation in aerobic and anaerobic conditions on a laboratory scale. This review is expected to serve the materialists and technologists who work on the EoL behaviour of various materials, particularly in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites to apply these standards and test methods to various classes of biocomposites for developing sustainable materials.
木质纤维素纤维增强聚合物复合材料是目前应用最广泛的现代材料，具有低密度和更好的比强度，专门开发用于提供更好的物理、机械和热性能。合成纤维增强复合材料面临一些严重的问题，如生物降解性低、不环保和处理性低。木质纤维素或天然纤维增强复合材料是由各种植物纤维和动物纤维开发而成，被认为是合成纤维复合材料的潜在替代品，因为它们具有重量轻、更好的生物降解性和低成本的特点。研究生物复合材料的使用寿命结束（EoL）条件，如生物降解性，非常重要。在生物降解过程中，天然纤维的物理化学排列、环境条件和微生物种群，这些天然纤维复合材料所处的条件，是最具影响力的因素。本综述重点讨论了在实验室规模下有氧和厌氧条件下生物降解的标准和评估方法。预计这篇综述将为从事各种材料使用寿命结束行为的材料科学家和技术专家提供帮助，特别是在天然纤维增强聚合物复合材料方面，以便将这些标准和测试方法应用于各种类别的生物复合材料，以开发可持续材料。
