Natural fibre–reinforced starch biocomposites and their effects on the material mechanical properties: a review

Abstract

Research on biodegradable materials has gained significant attention due to increasing environmental awareness. Starch, as a biodegradable polymer readily available from agricultural resources, is a promising candidate for biocomposite production. Starch-based films, though exhibiting low mechanical strength, can be enhanced using various plasticizers at elevated temperatures with shear, resulting in a deformable thermoplastic material known as thermoplastic starches. The tensile properties of these starch-based composites can be further improved by incorporating fibres, making them more suitable for a range of applications. This review highlights the significance of biodegradable materials as sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastics, driven by environmental concerns. It focuses on natural fibre–reinforced biopolymer composites, particularly those based on starch, which exhibit improved properties. The review also covers natural fibres as reinforcement, starch as a biopolymer component and potential applications of these composites and suggests directions for future research. The results of this compilation show that natural fibres have a significant influence on the characteristic of the fabricated composites.