Agricultural waste-based composites for automotive interiors using waste to value approach

As the world is moving towards the green transportation system, the automotive sector is fast catching up with the idea of using lightweight materials in improving fuel efficiency and minimizing the production of greenhouse gases. Reduction of weight can not only raise the recyclability but also raises the performance of vehicles, such as driving/handling, braking, and crash safety. An important ingredient of this shift is the introduction of lightweight, high-performance materials including the use of advanced polymer composites (e.g., glass fiber-reinforced polymers, carbon fiber composite and natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite) as eco-friendly substitutes to traditional automotive parts. As the future of mobility increasingly leans toward electric vehicles(EV), the demand for eco-friendly materials has never been greater. The review entails a comprehensive discussion of natural fibers and fillers of agro/food waste including banana fiber, coir, date palm fiber, pineapple leaf fiber(PALF), and sugarcane bagasse as reinforcement materials to be used in biocomposites in EV interiors. It discusses the procedures of extracting these fibers, its physical, chemical, mechanical and thermal characterization and the performance of its reinforced composite. Also, the paper provides an in-depth analysis of car interior material specifications, low density, sufficient stiffness, thermal stability, flame retardancy, low volatile organic compound(VOC) emissions, odor containment, fogging resistance, UV stability, and recyclability. Finally, the research paper has identified the area of future research and the main issues that need to be overcome in the process of using agriculture waste-based biocomposites in electric cars as this is going to create a more sustainable and conscious automotive industry.