A review of polymers, fibre additives and fibre treatment techniques used in rotational moulding process

The current study reviews the viability of various fibre-polymer composites and treatment techniques along with the intricacy involved in improving the rotational moulding process. It is a method used in the manufacturing of hollow plastic items free from stress. As the rotational moulding process has gained prominence in a variety of crucial applications in recent years, a detailed analysis of this technique is important. For this reason, an exhaustive review of various fibres and polymers used in rotational moulding along with different pre-treatment techniques for improving the processability has been carried out and categorised into three sections. The first section deals with the type of polymers which are used for the process along with their nature and suitability for rotational moulding. The second section deals with the study of different fibres that have been blended with the polymers. The last section of the review discusses the different fibre treatment techniques which can be used to improve polymer-fibre compatibility. From a wide range of polymers used, it has been observed that the ease of processability of linear low-density polyethylene makes it the most suitable grade for rotational moulding. It can also be noticed that artificial fibres provide good mechanical properties compared to natural fibres but being eco-friendly and having low cost, natural fibres are more vital in the application. It is evident from the review that fibre pre-treatment enhances the polymer-fibre compatibility which improves the mechanical properties of the rotationally moulded products. Further, it can be concluded from the literature review that an adequate variety of polymer and fibre along with fibre treatment techniques can make an important contribution to the rotational moulding process.