Research Progress of Aging Effects on Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Brief Review

Natural fiber-reinforced polymer (NFRP) composites have obtained significance in recent times due to their wide application in different industries, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, home appliances, and ballistic vest because of the high cost of synthetic fibers and environmental issue. These natural fibers are cheaper and lighter but their mechanical properties are lower than the synthetic fibers. In addition, great efforts have been made to understand the phenomenon of weathering of polymeric materials, which ultimately result in the deterioration of the physical and mechanical properties of the polymer. This work aims to present some research in the degradation area of natural fibers and their composites. The components of NFRP and flexural strength and modulus are revealed in the first part. Afterwards, the second part will be devoted to review some methods of aging treatments applied to natural fiber composites. Eventually, a discussion about the optimal approaches for lifetime prediction of NFRPs will be drawn.