Environmental concerns and cost reduction have encouraged the use of natural fillers as reinforcement in polymer composites. Currently, a wide variety of reinforcement, such as natural fibers and nanocellulose, are used for this purpose. Composite materials with natural fillers have not only met the environmental appeal, but also contribute to developing low-density materials with improved properties. The production of natural fillers is unlimited around the world, and many species are still to be discovered. Their processing is considered beneficial since the natural fillers do not cause corrosion or great wear of the equipment. For these reasons, polymer reinforced with natural fillers has been considered a good alternative for obtaining ecofriendly materials for several applications, including the automotive industry. This review explores the use of natural fillers (natural fibers, cellulose nanocrystals, and nanofibrillated cellulose) as reinforcement in polymer composites for the automotive industry.

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Recycled PET/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation process with several amounts (1, 3, and 5 wt %) of clay modified with quaternary ammonium salt (DELLITE 67G) dispersed in a recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate) (rPET) matrix. The resultant mechanical properties (modulus and yield strength) of the nanocomposites were found to be different from those of rPET. Wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) measurements have shown that although complete exfoliation was not achieved, delaminated clay platelets could be observed. Thermal analysis did not show significant changes in the thermal properties from those of recycled PET. Mechanical testing showed that nanocomposite properties were superior to the recycled PET in terms of strength and elasticity modulus. This improvement was attributed to nanoscale effects and strong interaction between the rPET matrix and the clay interface, as revealed by WAXS and TEM.

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The effects of extrusion conditions on the mechanical properties of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET)/clay nanocomposites were studied. Nanocomposites of recycled PET containing 2.5 and 5.0 wt % of montmorillonite modified with organophilic quaternary ammonium salt (DELLITE 67G) were prepared by melt compounding using a corotating twin-screw type extruder at two different screw rotation speeds: 250 and 150 rpm. The highest value of Young's modulus was found for low screw rotation speed (150 rpm). Morphological analysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the presence of fully exfoliated clay platelets in samples prepared at 150 rpm. It was concluded that the screw rotation speed should be optimized when preparing recycled PET/clay nanocomposites by melt compounding.

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