over the past few decades, scientists have paid special attention to studying novel and natural hydrocolloids due to the growing demand for ready meals, public awareness on the importance of natural fibers in daily diets, and their wide range of application, especially in foods, pharmaceuticals and herbal medicine. moreover, natural hydrocolloids are preferred to biotechnologic ones (e.g., gell...

Materials Research Group (CMRG) at the University of Mississippi (UM) have recently begun a research study supported by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (NRICSREES-USDA Award number 2003-35504-13627) examining natural fiber reinforcements (NFR). The objectives of this research are to demonstrate the feasibility of using the cost-effective pultrusion process to manufacture high quality polyme...

Natural fiber-reinforced nanocomposites (NFRCs) are proved as the best alternative for synthetic composites in view of cost and environmental effects. NFRCs have been produced from agro-waste such banana tree fiber (BFs), because BF strong, light-weight, smaller elongation. To improve quality BF, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) used reinforcing filler. MWCNTs functionalized by an ecofriendl...