Morphological analysis and physical characterization on bio-coated natural fibre for structural applications: a preliminary study

Natural fibers represent an innovative and environmentally friendly material that is gaining more interest among the scientific community. They are characterized by a complex structure respect the synthetic fibres that requires more investigation. This study aims to evaluate the physical and morphological properties, with the use of the scanning electron microscope, of natural fibers and evaluate the cross-section area of the yarns which represent one of the main parameters for the design of the strengthening system. The variation given by the presence of a bio-coating system is also investigate in this study. The coating system homogenizes the structure of the fiber and well defines the boundary of the yarn, overcoming the problem of heterogeneity of the section.