Biocomposites in the Past and in the Future

Due to the increasing environmental awareness nowadays biocomposites are becoming as important and prevalent materials as they were centuries ago. The development of high-performance engineering products made from natural resources is increasing worldwide. Natural fibre composites have become more and more efficient as new compositions and their processing methods are being intensively researched, developed and consequently applied. This paper, above all, is intended to provide a brief outline of the development and modification trends which aim to make biocomposites more user-friendly and eco-friendly by means of novel processing methods. These methods produce biopolymers with an improved melt behaviour and use naturally occurring raw materials.