With conventional materials contributing greatly to environmental waste, biodegradable and natural composites have grown in interest and display low environmental impact at low cost across a wide range of applications. This book provides an overview of different biodegradable and natural composites and focuses on efforts into increasing their mechanical performance to extend their capabilities and applications.

• Preface 6
• Contents 12
• List of contributors 14
• Editors’ biographies 18
• 1. An insight into plant-based biodegradable composites 22
• Part I: Introduction and Material 22
• 2. Corn (maize) – its fibers, polymers, composites, and applications: A review 32
• Part II: Manufacturing and Properties 58
• 3. Production of biodegradable composites from agricultural waste: A review 58
• 4. Natural fiber-based biocomposites: Effect of orientation on mechanical properties 68
• 5. Mechanical properties of bamboo yarn: A biodegradable composite material for structural works 100
• 6. Aggrandized flexural properties of assorted natural biological materials 130
• 7. Hygrothermoelastic behaviour Natural fibers based composites: Mechanisms and formalism 160
• Part III: Machining and Application 186
• 8. Influence of drilling parameters on the thrust force and mechanical properties of biodegradable particleboard composite panel 186