Advances In Epoxy/Synthetic/Natural Fiber Composites

Abstract

Nowadays, polymer-based composites are used in several applications because of their promising characteristics. Polymers, such as epoxies, polyesters, phenolics, polyimides, etc. have been used in aerospace, marine, electrical, food packaging, cosmetic, medical, and high-temperature applications. Among these polymers, epoxies are widely being used in the composite industry due to their higher specific strength, low cost, and good thermo-mechanical properties. Properties of epoxies can be modified with the incorporation of natural and synthetic fibers. The deformation behavior of epoxy composites under different loading conditions is studied by different researchers and the deformation behavior of composites depends upon factors such as the type of fibers, length of fibers, loading of fibers, orientation of fibers, chemical treatment of fibers, processing technique, and hybrid network of fibers. The hybrid fiber system comprising more than one fiber is an efficient method to further enhance the performance of the epoxy composites. This chapter gives an overview of the mechanical, thermal, and aging properties of epoxy-fiber hybrid composites. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.