The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series- Natural Fibers and Biocomposites

Natural fibers' abundance, excellent properties, biodegradability, and low cost make this renewable resource a green alternative to synthetic fibers for composite material reinforcement. The need to create sustainable solutions has promoted applications in sports, transportation, armor, medicine, infrastructure, construction and building materials, and architecture. This collection promotes the use of natural materials and their composites as a possible strategy to increase environmental sustainability, as well as to study materials fundamentals for new applications. Topics include but are not limited to: • Properties and fundamentals of natural fibers • Surface modifications to improve properties • Biocomposite materials and potential contributions to sustainability • Durability, dynamic behavior, adhesion, impact response, mechanical, thermal, and other properties related to natural materials and their composites