Renewable Agricultural Fibers as Reinforcing Fillers in Plastics: Mechanical Properties of Kenaf Fiber-Polypropylene Composites

This article is a review of previous findings, which are related to the mechanical properties of kenaf fiber-polypropylene composites. These materials are exceptional as it was made from renewable agricultural fiber that had been manipulated as the reinforcing fillers in commodity plastics. Therefore, this article presents an overview of kenaf fiber-polypropylene composites in terms of why kenaf fiber was chosen as the reinforcing fillers, and the utilization of kenaf fiber in current research and manufacturing industry. Next, the preparation and treatment related to this composite shall be elaborated, followed by fiber content’s effects towards the properties of kenaf fiber-polypropylene composite. The subsequent topics will be a summary of mechanical properties that could be obtained from this composite and finally the potential of application with future development of kenaf fiber-polypropylene composite. The renewability, recyclability, sustainability of kenaf fiber-polypropylene composite also been elaborated. The findings of this article could be beneficial in the future, as the reference and guideline to utilize these composites in manufacturing and assembly process.