?? JEC Sustainability - GOING GREEN WITH NATURAL FIBERS

GOING GREEN WITH NATURAL FIBERS - Episode 3

In the search for more sustainable manufacturing solutions bio-based materials offer a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with petroleum-based resources. The adoption of bio-based materials can help the composites industry become more sustainable and lower its dependence on fossil fuels.

JEC Group’s new report Sustainability: A Responsible Approach for Composites explores the growing market for natural fiber composites (NFCs). According to Grand View Research, the global NFC market was worth US$4.46 billion in 2016 and it’s expected to register a CAGR of 11.8% from 2016 to 2024. Demand for lightweight products from the automotive industry and the growing inclination towards environmentally-friendly and recyclable products are among the key trends driving market growth.

Eco-friendly, renewable materials

Natural fibers manufactured from materials such as wood, cotton, flax, kenaf and hemp are less harmful to the environment, easily available and have the potential to replace synthetic glass fibers in composites. Composites made using natural fibers help reduce the weight of components, thereby lowering total energy consumption, and they cost less to produce than glass fiber composites. However, the moisture sensitivity of natural fibers and weak bonding with polymer matrices could hinder their growth prospects.

Wood has been dominating the NFC market. The advantages of wood, including high strength and robustness, are projected to fuel its use over the coming years. Flax is widely used. Its benefits include high tensile strength, vibration absorption, and UV-blocking properties. The use of kenaf has been growing in the construction, oil and chemical absorbents, food packaging and automotive industries since it is highly sustainable and can be fully recycled. Hemp can replace glass fiber in many applications and surging demand for eco-friendly, renewable materials from the automotive and construction markets is poised to trigger growth in this segment of the NFC market.

The NFC matrix market includes inorganic compounds, natural polymers and synthetic polymers. Natural polymer matrices are anticipated to witness strong growth, boosted by rising demand for sustainable products.

Application insights

NFCs are mainly used in the automotive and construction industries where applications include door panels, seat backs, dashboards, truck liners, headliners, decking, railing, windows and frames. The automotive industry is using composites based on wood, flax, hemp and cellulose fibers to produce lightweight parts with good mechanical properties in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. NFCs can also reduce manufacturing costs. In the construction industry, natural fibers are a low-cost, sustainable alternative to synthetic and metallic fibers used as building materials, and in some cases their mechanical properties are better than those of glass fiber.

Electronics and sporting goods are also promising market segments. Mobile and laptop cases, tennis rackets and snowboards are just some of the many products exploiting the properties of natural fibers.?

Learn more about the environmental benefits of natural fibers in our new report Sustainability: A Responsible Approach for Composites : https://www.jeccomposites.com/product/composites-sustainability-report/

Visitors of JEC World 2022 will also be able to discover all the latest advances in this dynamic market within the Natural Fiber Village. More news on this soon!

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