With the lightning speed of technological evolution, the demand for high performance yet sustainable natural fibres reinforced polymer composites (NFPCs) are rising. Especially a mechanically competent NFPCs under various loading conditions are growing day by day. However, the polymers mechanical properties are strain-rate dependent due to their viscoelastic nature. Especially for natural fibre reinforced polymer composites (NFPCs) which the involvement of filler has caused rather complex failure mechanisms under different strain rates. Moreover, some uneven micro-sized natural fibres such as bagasse, coir and wood were found often resulting in micro-cracks and voids formation in composites. This paper provides an overview of recent research on the mechanical properties of NFPCs under various loading conditions-different form (tensile, compression, bending) and different strain rates. The literature on characterisation techniques toward different strain rates, composite failure behaviours and current challenges are summarised which have led to the notion of future study trend. The strength of NFPCs is generally found grow proportionally with the strain rate up to a certain degree depending on the fibre-matrix stress-transfer efficiency. The failure modes such as embrittlement and fibre-matrix debonding were often encountered at higher strain rates. The natural filler properties, amount, sizes and polymer matrix types are found to be few key factors affecting the performances of composites under various strain rates whereby optimally adjust these factors could maximise the fibre-matrix stress-transfer efficiency and led to performance increases under various loading strain rates.
A Review on Mechanical Properties of Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites under Various Strain Rates
