Materials Selection for Natural Fiber Composites

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1. Background

1.2. Materials and design

1.3. Composite materials

1.4. Materials selection

1.5. About this book

Summary

This chapter presents background information about the book, such as the relationship between materials and design, an introduction to composite materials and natural fiber composites including advantages and disadvantages of composites and applications of composite materials as well as a brief introduction to materials selection.

Chapter 2: Natural Fiber Composites

2.1. Natural fibers

2.2. Advantages and disadvantages of natural fiber composites

2.3. Mechanical properties of natural fiber composites

2.4. Other properties of natural fiber composites

2.5. Applications of natural fiber composites

2.6. Challenges in developing natural fiber composites for wide industrial applications

Summary

This chapter will present information on natural fibers that are available as reinforcements for polymer composites. It will also provide details on natural fiber composites such as advantages and drawbacks, matrix system, fiber and matrix interfacial bonding, properties such as mechanical, thermal, environmental, chemical and physical properties of natural fiber composites and their applications. This chapter will also discuss the challenging task in expanding the applications of natural fiber composites for several industrial applications.

Chapter 3: Materials Selection

3.1. Materials selection and design

3.2. The needs for materials selection

3.3. Tools and techniques

3.3. Conventional materials selection techniques

3.4. Ashby charts

3.5. Advanced materials selection techniques

Summary

This chapter focuses on various aspects and issues related to materials selection. The relationship between materials selection and design, the need for materials selection, and discussion on tools and techniques in materials selection will be included. Conventional methods of materials selection, the famous Ashby chart, and various advanced materials selection tools and techniques either using procedure based tools or artificial intelligence tools will be covered.

Chapter 4: Material Selection for Composites

4.1. Various issues in materials selection in composites

4.2. Selection of matrices

4.3. Selection of fibers

4.4. Research work on materials selection for composites

4.5. Advanced techniques in composite materials selection

Summary

This chapter is dealing with materials selection for composites materials. The subject had been around for many decades but there has been no attempt in the past to compile them and to put them together in the form of books or parts of book. This chapter will provide information on various issues in materials selection for composites, and the selection of matrices and fibers. Research works on materials selection for composites and advanced techniques in composite materials selection will be discussed.

Chapter 5: Material Selection of Natural Fiber Composites

5.1. The need for materials selection of natural fiber composites

5.2. Traditional approach

5.3. Proper assessment of natural fibers capabilities

5.4. Evaluating polymer matrices for natural fibers

5.5. Predicting the potential of new fiber types for industrial applications

5.6. Issues and challenges

Summary

In this chapter, materials selection for natural fiber composites is initially presented. The need for materials selection for natural fiber composites, proper evaluations of the available natural fiber types and their capabilities for various industrial applications as well as the appropriateness of a certain polymer type for particular fiber will be discussed. The need for revealing new natural fiber types for natural fiber composites and its relation with environmental issues, pollutions and proper utilization of natural resources will be also discussed. Issues and challenges in the traditional approaches in materials selection for natural fiber composites will be presented.

Chapter 6: Material Selection of Natural Fiber Composites Using Analytical Hierarchy Process

6.1. Background of Analytical Hierarchy Process

6.2. Appropriateness of Analytical Hierarchy Process for natural fiber composite selection

6.3. Pairwise comparison under uncertainty environment for bio-based materials

6.4. Selecting natural fibers for a particular application under conflicting criteria using Analytical Hierarchy Process

6.5. Selecting polymers for bio-based materials under conflicting criteria using Analytical Hierarchy Process

6.6. Evaluating various natural fiber composites under conflicting criteria using Analytical Hierarchy Process

6.7. Optimizing the reinforcement conditions of natural fiber composites using Analytical Hierarchy Process

6.8. Sensitivity analysis of the selection models using Analytical Hierarchy Process

Summary

A special topic on material selection of natural fiber composites using Analytical Hierarchy Process is presented in Chapter 6. It covers the appropriateness of the Analytical Hierarchy Process for natural fiber composite selection over other multi-criteria decision making methods. The added value of the simple and consistent pairwise comparisons for the selection of bio-based materials under uncertainty environment will be presented. Several detailed case studies of evaluating and selecting natural fiber composite materials and their constituents utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process will be discussed as a guideline for the reader in selecting, evaluating and forming proper natural fiber composite for a particular application. The selection of the most appropriate fiber type, polymer matrix and reinforcement conditions from various simultaneous technical, environmental, mechanical, chemical as well as economic points of view for bio-based materials using Analytical Hierarchy Process will be presented. Also the evaluation of various available natural fiber composites under conflicting criteria using Analytical Hierarchy Process will be discussed to increase the reliability in the bio-based material selection process for sustainable design possibilities. The sensitivity analysis of the selection models using Analytical Hierarchy Process will be also presented.

Chapter 7: Material Selection of Natural Fiber Composites Using Other Methods

7.1. Java based materials selection

7.2. Knowledge based system

7.3. Digital logic technique

7.4. Quality function deployment for environment

7.5 Pugh selection method

7.6. Artificial neural network

7.7. TOPSIS method.

Summary

This final chapter elaborates on recent works on materials selection for natural fiber composites using various tools and techniques. These include Java based materials selection, knowledge based system, digital logic technique, quality function deployment with environment, Pugh selection method, TOPSIS method and artificial neural network approach.KEYWORDS: biocomposites; biofibre reinforcements; biomatrices; processing of biocomposites; fibre/matrix design; nanocellulose-based biocomposites