Characterisation of Natural/Synthetic Fibre Composites for Enhanced Mechanical Performance and Environmental Sustainability

Purpose: This study investigates the synergistic integration of natural and synthetic fibres within hybrid polymer composites to optimise the balance between strength performance and environmental sustainability. Design/Methodology/Approach: Literature published between 2010 and 2025 that studied and experimented on natural-synthetic fibres (NSF), and hybrid composites across reputable databases such as Elsevier, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar were reviewed, and their results, environmental and economic impacts were studied closely. The data obtained from this study were the results garnered from experiments. Research Limitation: The results obtained from this literature are limited by the lack of regularised data on long-term durability and fatigue behaviour under varying environmental conditions. Findings: This study revealed that hybrid composites exhibit high mechanical performance, thermal stability, water resistance, and overall sustainability, making them eco-friendly. Chemical treatment (NaOH) is commonly used to enhance surface bonding between the fibre and matrix, resulting in higher tensile, flexural, and impact performance. Different fibre composite combinations were adopted, such as bamboo-carbon, coir-glass, flax-carbon/glass, sisal-glass, kenaf-glass, and hemp-carbon, which demonstrated improved stiffness-to-weight ratios with lower environmental impact, making them highly useful in automotive, aerospace, and construction applications. Practical Implication: The use of NSFCs can replace heavier, less eco-friendly synthetic systems in applications requiring high strength-to-weight ratios, supporting their use in automotive, aerospace, construction, and other sectors. Social Implications: Incorporating natural-synthetic hybrid composites widely supports sustainability goals, stimulates rural economies, and reduces environmental impact. Originality / Value: It provides diverse synergistic fibre pairings alongside effective treatment methods that combine strength performance, durability and environmental impact.