Journal of Natural Fibers

Natural fiber-reinforced PLA biopolymer composites have gained significant attention in recent years due to their environmental and economic benefits. The use of biodegradable and renewable resources, such as natural fibers and PLA biopolymers, offers a sustainable solution to the increasing demand for eco-friendly materials in various industries.

This subject is important because it addresses the need for sustainable materials that can replace traditional petroleum-based plastics, which are non-biodegradable and have a significant environmental impact. The development of natural fiber-reinforced PLA biopolymer composites can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, decrease carbon emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

This proposal aims to highlight the recent advances in natural fiber-reinforced PLA biopolymer composites and their potential applications. The proposed subtopics include:

• The use of different natural fibers, such as: sugar palm, oil palm, coconut, banana, wheat, corn, pineapple, bamboo, flax, hemp, jute, etc. and their effects on the mechanical and thermal properties of PLA composite
• The incorporation of nanofiller, such as nanocellulose, and nanolignin-reinforced PLA composites and their impact on the properties of these materials will also be included

Other potential subtopics include the use of additives and compatibilizers to improve the interfacial bonding between the natural fibers and the PLA matrix.

This Collection aims to publish original research articles, brief reports, review articles, and perspectives that provide insights into the advances and challenges in the development of natural fiber-reinforced PLA biopolymer composites. The articles should highlight the potential applications of these materials in various industries, including automotive, packaging, and construction. Ultimately, this Collection will contribute to the development of sustainable materials that can replace traditional plastics and reduce the environmental impact of various industries.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisors for this collection will not be handling the manuscripts. Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 30th November 2023.

Please contact Alex Johnson at [email protected] with any queries regarding this Article Collection.

Article Collection Guest Advisors

Professor Mohd Sapuan bin Salit is an A Grade Professor in mechanical engineering, known for his expertise in composite materials. Currently Head of Advanced Engineering Materials and Composites Research Centre (AEMC) at UPM, he has received research grants worth over RM 10 million USD and has supervised over 108 PhDs and 11 Postdocs, along with numerous Masters and Bachelor students. With over 900 publications and an H-index of 104, he has been widely recognized for his contributions to the field with over 40,000 citations. He has also been invited to speak as a keynote speaker at conferences and workshops around the world and has received numerous awards and grants for his work. He is a Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) and Fellow Society of Automotive Engineers International USA.

Dr R.A. Ilyas is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia. He is also a Fellow of International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM), Sweden, Fellow of International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS), Japan, a member of Royal Society of Chemistry, UK and Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), UK. R.A. Ilyas was the recipient of the MVP Doctor of Philosophy Gold Medal Award UPM 2019, for Best Ph.D. Thesis and Top Student Award, INTROP, UPM, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for peer review, publications, and citations. To date he has authored or co-authored more than 431 publications (published/accepted): 188 Journals Indexed in JCR/ Scopus, 3 non-index Journal, 17 books, 104 book chapters, 78 conference proceedings/seminars, 4 research bulletins, 10 conference papers (abstract published in the book of abstract), 17 Guest Editor of Journal special issues and 10 Editor/ Co-Editor of Conference/Seminar Proceedings on green materials related subjects.

Dr Vasi Uddin Siddiqui is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Universiti Putra Malaysia, specializing in nanomaterials and nanocomposites for energy and environmental applications. He completed his Ph.D. degree in 2022 from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, where he worked on the synthesis and characterization of metal-based nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications. Dr. Vasi has published 21 papers in internationally and nationally reputed scientific journals, including book chapters and conference proceedings, and has an h-index of 7 with more than 150 citations. He has delivered several talks on nanomaterials and nanocomposites and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals.

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