ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the properties and structure of the main ingredients of the natural materials. It directs towards natural fibre in thermosetting matrix composites, due to the good utilisation of the fibre length and strength, compared with other technologies such as wood plastic composites (WPCs) where wood flour or relatively short fibre are used. However, advances in handling long fibres for use in thermoplastic composites must also be noted, such as the direct long fibre thermoplastic process (D-LFT) developed for the automotive industry in Germany by the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology. The family of structural proteins contains both strong, stiff, and flexible, elastic materials, both of which are high molecular weight polymers, not to be confused with other protein based biological polymers such as hormones, antibodies and enzymes. In mammals, the most abundant protein is collagen. It occurs in cartilage, bone, teeth, skin and blood vessels. It is also found in fish scales, and the muscle of other vertebrates.
