Bagasse Fiber Composites-A Review

A composite material is made by combining two or more materials to give a unique combination of properties, one of which is made up of stiff, long fibres and the other, a binder or 'matrix' which holds the fibres in place. The fibres are strong and stiff relative to the matrix and are generally orthotropic. More recently natural fibers have been employed in combination with plastics. The abundant availability of natural fibre in India such as Jute, Coir, Sisal, Pineapple, Ramie, Bamboo, Banana etc. gives attention on the development of natural fibre composites primarily to explore value-added application avenues. Such natural fibre composites are well suited as wood substitutes in the housing and construction sector. Reinforcement with natural fibre in composites has recently gained attention due to low cost, low density, acceptable specific properties, ease of separation, enhanced energy recovery, C02 neutrality, biodegradability and recyclable nature. Thousands of tons of different crops are produced but most of their wastes do not have any useful utilization. Agricultural wastes include wheat husk, rice husk and their straw, hemp fibre and shells of various dry fruits. These agricultural wastes can be used to prepare fibre reinforced polymer composites for commercial use. This review discusses the use of bagasse fibre and its current status of research. Many references to the latest work on properties, processing and application have been cited in this review