A short review on novel biocomposites based on plant oil precursors

The last two decades have witnessed an exponential growth in the interest for using bio-derived products, which has been driven by the need for replacing petroleum based materials reducing the fuel consumption and, equally important, for producing materials with lower environmental impact. Vegetable oils constitute a rich source for many different polymers and polymer precursors and they are being considered for the production of “greener” composites. The wide range of possible combinations of vegetable oils, chemical modifications, polymerization routes, nature of the fillers and fibers used as reinforcement materials allows tailoring the composite properties to fit the requirements of structural or functional materials. Thus, a wide range of macro, micro and nanosized particles and fibers have been proposed as reinforcements/fillers, including organic and inorganic ones, natural or synthetic, in order to give adequate answers to specific requirements. Although, the role of oil-based products may seem modest in some cases (partial replacement of synthetic materials), there is a clear trend to increase the percentage of “green”-based raw materials in the formulations of commodities as well as specialty polymers/composites for high added value applications. Examples of different types of reinforced thermoset and elastomeric bio-composites are presented in this short review.