Natural Resources Based Green Composite Materials

Abstract

Green composite material is one of the promising candidate materials to substitute the use of synthetic composites for various applications. They offer many advantages such as high specific strength, lightweight, low raw material cost, and environmentally friendly. In this chapter, an overview of green composite materials is discussed. Among the topics included are types of green composites, application of green composites, their mechanical properties and processing methods. This chapter also highlighted the latest development of green composite materials such as hybrid green composites; green composites reinforced recycled polymer matrix and green composites with nanomaterials. The chapter is concluded with brief remarks on the opportunities which can be ventured by both researchers and practitioners, to address the existing limitations regarding the material properties, processing and design method. It is hoped that this chapter may spur higher interest especially from product developers to use green composite materials as solution for their applications.