Processing and properties of natural fibers reinforced thermoplastic and thermosseting composites

In this work, three different natural fibers were studied and characterized, using optical and SEM microscopy. Woven fabrics of those reinforcement fibers were used to reinforce polyester and epoxy matrices and produce composite plates by vacum lay-up. Also, using an experimental piston blender equipment, long fiber reinforced PLA (LFT) composites were manufactured by hot compression molding. All different obtained composite plates were submitted to mechanical testing in order to determine relevant mechanical proprieties.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT