Natural Fibers: High Performance Sustainable Materials
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 45143
Special Issue Editors
2. Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T), University of Minho, 4710-057 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: fibrous and composite materials; nanofibers; advanced textiles; smart composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: fiber composites
Interests: CBRN protective materials; nanofibers; natural fibers; functionalization of fibrous structures; synthesis of nanoparticles; piezoresistive materials; localized drug delivery systems; wound dressing systems; photodynamic therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Natural fibers are a renewable resource, par excellence, having been renewed by nature and by humans for millennia. Recently, they have drawn tremendous attention from both the scientific community and industrial sectors due to their abundance and low cost, good specific mechanical properties, and environmental benefits. Tremendous growth in the use of non-renewable and non-biodegradable synthetic materials and associated emission of greenhouse gases is presently a big concern for the environment and future generations. In this context, the use of natural fibers, extracted from plants which absorb carbon dioxide and benefit the environment, seems to be highly attractive. In addition, processing of natural fibers generates wastes, which are mostly organic and can be used to generate electricity or green building, and at the end of its life cycle, they are 100% biodegradable.
Due to the increasing environmental concern and depletion of non-renewable resources, natural fibers are greatly enlarging their range of applications in different industrial sectors, including automobiles, sports, architecture, design, and many others. Consequently, extensive technological and scientific research and developments are being undertaken by various institutes around the world, turning these amazing materials into eco-friendly value-added products and stepping toward a greener world.
In this context, the accepted contributions for this Special Issue include topics such as:
- New processes for natural fiber agriculture extraction and processing;
- Natural fiber reinforced biopolymers;
- Innovative natural fibers and structures;
- Functional natural fibers;
- Natural fiber modification techniques;
- Advanced fibrous structures based on natural fibers;
- Nanodimensional natural fibers;
- Natural-fiber-based polymeric composites;
- Green composites;
- Natural-fiber-based cementitious composites;
- Applications of natural fibers in high-end sectors;
- Biomimetics;
- Product development based on natural fibers;
- New markets for natural fibers;
- Sustainability of natural fibers: life cycle assessment studies;
- Textile processing of natural fibers;
- Properties and characterization of natural fibers and structures.
Prof. Dr. Raul Fangueiro
Prof. Dr. Jörg Müssig
Dr. Diana Ferreira
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- natural fibers
- ecocomposites
- fibers functionalization
- nanocellulose
- nanofibers
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.