Use of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) for polymer composites obtaining: a mapping review

Abstract

The massive biomass availability generated by the common giant reed (Arundo donax L.) motivates the research for its possible industrial use for high-added-value products through a biorefinery approach. The literature demonstrates the potential of common cane to obtain different high-value compounds, such as levulinic acid, oligosaccharides, fermentable sugars, highly digestible fiber for animal feed, polyphenols, and natural fibers for composite materials, among others. Arundo can also provide valuable lignocellulosic fibers with an application as composite reinforcement, which is the aim of this review. The work is split into different sections: fiber obtaining, mainly done by mechanical procedures, fiber characterization (composition, thermal degradation, "mechanical properties", and crystallinity), and properties of composites with reed fiber. Most authors refer to producing board panels with insulating properties, followed by introducing reed fibers or ground materials in thermoset resins. Few papers focus on the production of thermoplastic composites with Arundo, which shows the opportunity for deepening research in this area. PRISMA flowchart has been followed to perform the literature review. Different sources have been used, and retrieved results have been combined to obtain the core studies assessed in this review, evaluating the options of using Arundo fibers to obtain polymer composites.