Sustainable Composite Materials

The past fifteen years have witnessed a tremendous §interest in the search for alternative to fossil §origin materials. The search has been motivated by §the realisation that fossil reserves are finite, §and their use poses serious environmental impact. §The search for the alternative non fossil origin §materials has resulted in the exploitation of plant-§based materials which offer potentially zero §greenhouse gas emissions. Cashew nut shell liquid §(CNSL) is phenolic based natural oil extracted from §cashew nut processing plants. The oil consist of §four monomeric components each differing in side §chain saturation. Polymerisation of the crude CNSL §is accomplished in two stages resulting in either §resol or novolak type §resins. CNSL can be polymerised in acidic and §alkaline media to produce neat cast components or §mixed with plant fibres to produce composites that §exhibit properties similar to those of fossil-based §polymers reinforced with glass fibres. The §development of plant resourced materials into §industrial products can contribute to a healthy §ecosystem while their low cost and high performance §fulfils the economic interest of industries.