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Designing new eco-friendly fibers enable the creation of an alternative resource for many applications, specifically within the field of polymeric composites. This paper details the fabrication of hybrid epoxy composites comprising natural fiber, Phoenix Pusilla plant dry leaves which belong to the family of date palm and nanofillers made from the fish bones, which has been explored for the first time. ASTM standards provided the guidelines for the preparation of samples and mechanical measurements. The mechanical properties of the pure carbon fiber composites were compared with that of the hybrid composites containing carbon fiber, natural fiber and nanofiller. The results validate the potential of hybrid composites containing novel fibers. Adding the bio-nanofillers in hybrid polymer composites permits the enhancement of the tensile strength, flexural strength, and hardness by 22.5%, 200%, 100% and 15.2% respectively.

Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites (NRPCs) are replacing many synthetic fibers because of their cheap availability and their hygienic, ecological, biodegradable, and sustainable properties. This work involved extraction of new cellulosic fibers from red banana peduncle (RBP) plant and investigated its chemical composition, physical, structural, thermal, and tensile properties. RBP fibers (RBPFs) have high specific strength and good binding properties due to their light weight andpresence of high cellulose (72.9 wt%), low lignin (10.01 wt%), and wax (0.32 wt%). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) determined that RBPFs are rich in cellulose content with a crystallinity index (CI) of 72.3%. The density and diameter of the fibers were found to be about 0.896 g/cm3 and 15-250 μm, respectively. The fiber was thermally stable up to 230°C. Based on the results of this work, it seems that the properties of the fiber are a suitable candidate as a natural reinforcing material for the development of the biocomposite for potential applications.

Nanoparticles of molybdenum oxide were synthesized using the citrate sol-gel method and characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The sensitivity of the material to the presence of various gases was analysed and the particles showed higher sensitivity towards NO 2 gas.

An asbestos free friction material composite for brake linings is synthesized containing fibrous reinforcing constituents, friction imparting and controlling additives, elastomeric additives, fire retarding components and a thermosetting resin. The composite shows exemplary friction characteristics and has great resistance to wear and shows good temperature stability.