In today's world, environmental concerns have grown significantly, leading to laws prohibiting the production of synthetic products that are harmful to the environment. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly exploring sustainable or renewable materials reinforced with natural fibers. By mixing natural fibers from cultivation, harvesting, or agricultural waste, they can create materials with remarkable characteristics while significantly reducing air and atmospheric emissions, unlike synthetic fibers. Today, there are various types of natural fibers available for different applications, such as flax and many others.
This versatile plant grows in different climates around the world and is known as "most useful flax," highlighting its biological diversity. Moreover, flax fibers are used in various industrial applications like composites, repellents, insulation, food, medicine, agriculture, cosmetics, and other areas of application recently discovered. Besides, flaxseed is essential feedstock for producing flax oil, which is frequently used in manufacturing paints, varnishes, and cosmetics. As flaxseed is high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and lignans, it is also recognized as a good source of dietary fiber to help with digestive health. Furthermore, a good source of dietary fiber is hemp, high also in stearidonic acid with four double bonds.
This Article Collection welcomes research articles, brief reports, and review articles focused on recent interdisciplinary studies on the design, synthesis, manufacture, and characterization of flax and other bast fibrous plants, like hemp, ramie, jute, kenaf fibers for food, medical (biomedical), agricultural, and cosmetic applications, and other areas of application recently discovered.
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 31st January 2024.
Please contact Xin Dai at [email protected] with any queries regarding this Article Collection.
Professor Ahmed Belaadi is currently working as a researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University 20 August 1955-Skikda. Professor Belaadi is doing ongoing research in the fields of materials technology and manufacturing methods, including new natural plant fibres and bioplastics for sustainable use. Currently, his project focuses on the elaboration and characterization of new biocomposites. Several publications in high impact journals are among his major contributions to the field.
Dr. Messaouda Boumaaza is a researcher in the Department of Civil Engineering and Hydraulics at 8 May 1945 Guelma University. Dr. Boumaaza's research interests include the reinforcement of cement-gypsum mortars by natural fibres and optimization of parameters influencing the physical and mechanical properties of biocomposites. She is particularly interested in developing sustainable building materials that reduce the environmental impact of construction. Dr. Boumaaza's research methodology involves a combination of experimental work and computational modelling, and she often collaborates with researchers in related fields such as civil engineering and mechanical. Her major contributions to the field include several publications in high-impact journals. In the future, Dr. Boumaaza plans to continue her research on sustainable building materials and to explore new applications for her biocomposite materials in other areas.
Disclosure statement: The Guest Advisors have no conflicts to disclose related to this work.
