Wool-Polymer Composites: A Comprehensive Review on Preparation, Properties, and Applications
Natural fiber-polymer composites are increasingly capturing the interest of researchers due to their environmental benefits. These composites predominantly utilize plant fibers, valued for their superior mechanical strength, while animal fibers remain comparatively underexplored. Wool is an importan...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Natural Fibers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15440478.2025.2495921 |
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| Summary: | Natural fiber-polymer composites are increasingly capturing the interest of researchers due to their environmental benefits. These composites predominantly utilize plant fibers, valued for their superior mechanical strength, while animal fibers remain comparatively underexplored. Wool is an important natural fiber, obtained from sheep. The fine wool is mainly employed for the preparation of garments or clothing products, whereas medium coarse wool is used for rugs and upholstery. However, many sheep breeds produce very coarse, non-textile grade wool and remain under-utilized. Wool fiber exhibits unique physical properties such as crimp, resilience, and fire resistance, making it highly suitable for diverse applications in composites. Physical, chemical, and biochemical modification techniques improve the compatibility of wool with hydrophobic polymer matrix during composite preparation. Better mechanical properties could be imparted by the addition of fillers or using hybridization with other natural/synthetic fibers. This review compiles recent advancements in wool-polymer composites, detailing their physical and mechanical attributes and exploring a range of potential applications. It also highlights the use of surface treatments, consequences of fillers, and blending techniques that improve the functionality and stability of wool-polymer composites for contemporary applications. The wool composites could find applications in thermal and acoustic panels, home furnishing, and fashion accessories. |
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| ISSN: | 1544-0478 1544-046X |