PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF NATURAL FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MATERIALS, FIBER ARCHITECTURES, FABRICATION ROUTES, AND DATA-DRIVEN MODELLING

This review systematically evaluated the performance of natural fiber-reinforced composites through the combined effects of matrix material, fiber characteristics, surface modification, architecture, fabrication route and computational support. A PRISMA-guided selection process reduced 650 identified records to 28 primary studies with sufficient methodological and quantitative quality. The reviewed evidence covered epoxy, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, PLA, ABS and bio-based matrices; jute, flax, hemp, kenaf, sisal, bamboo, coir, pineapple leaf, banana and less-established plant fibers; and manufacturing routes ranging from hand lay-up and compression moulding to vacuum-assisted processing, extrusion, injection moulding and fused deposition modelling. The central finding is that no fiber or matrix is universally superior. High performance is achieved when fiber architecture and processing allow efficient load transfer. Aligned hemp/polypropylene reached 44.8 MPa tensile strength and 97.6 MPa flexural strength at high fiber loading, whereas intermediate kenaf loading in printed ABS reduced strength because porosity and weak compatibility offset reinforcement. Hybridization can balance stiffness, toughness and impact resistance, while surface treatments can improve bonding and ageing resistance; however, treatment effects are fiber-specific and excessive chemical or plasma exposure may damage the reinforcement. Closed-mould and vacuum methods generally improve consolidation, but process suitability depends on viscosity, preform permeability, production scale and target geometry. Finite-element, optimization and machine-learning methods provide valuable tools for navigating the large design space. Ensemble regressors have achieved R² values of 0.94 on heterogeneous data and 0.99 on consistent in-house data, confirming both the potential of prediction and the importance of standardized datasets [22]. The principal unresolved issues are fiber variability, moisture sensitivity, inconsistent test methods, incomplete defect reporting, limited fatigue and environmental ageing data, and weak integration of mechanical results with cost and life-cycle performance. Future research should use common conditioning and testing protocols, quantify voids and interface properties, publish machine-readable raw data, apply interpretable and uncertainty-aware models, and validate optimized composites at component scale. The review contributes an integrated material–interface–process framework that can guide application-specific selection and the responsible transition of NFRCs from laboratory coupons to reliable sustainable engineering products.

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