Cellulose fibres as an alternative for glass fibres in polymer composites

Nowadays polymer composites are becoming important and prevalent materials for production of engineering products due to the requirements of sustainable economic progress. However, composite reinforcement with glass fibres makes difficult to meet the increasingly stringent environmental requirements. This paper, above all, is intended to provide a brief outline of the composite history and to present the possibilities for the development of more user-friendly and eco-friendly polymer materials, i.e. bio-composites reinforced with natural fibres (e.g. man-made cellulose). Possibilities for further development of polymer composites, in particular of PLA and PA bio-composites reinforced with cellulose fibres, towards a wider range of technical applications are also presented.