Preparation technologies and advanced applications of transparent plant fiber-based composites

The plant fiber, as a natural renewable, biodegradable green and eco-friendly material, has a wide range of sources and abundant reserves, such as forestry wood, bamboo, and crop straw resources. It is widely used in the manufacturing of composite materials, such as fiber-reinforced resins/silicates, with a huge market and broad prospects. The development of transparent functional materials based on plant fibers has scientific significance and research value in breaking through the technical bottleneck of optical opacity for the traditional engineering materials (such as fiberboard and wood plastic composites) and expanding the application range of agricultural and forestry biomass products. The article provides a detailed overview of the latest research progress on fiber-based transparent materials. It systematically summarizes the mechanisms of green bleaching and transparency of plant fiber materials, as well as the characteristics and key difficulties of for the preparation techniques. It has been demonstrated that transparent materials treated with preliminary decolorization and transparency can optimize the process, and achieve the multifunctionality while retaining the characteristics of plant fibers. This article focuses on the mechanics, transparency, haze, flame retardancy, and thermal insulation of plant fiber based transparent materials, and explores the application prospects of fiber transparent materials in energy-saving buildings, optoelectronic devices, and energy storage materials. There is still a lot of systematic research to be promoted in the utilization of plant fiber transparent materials. With the continuous improvement of preparation technology and modification methods, its performance will be further improved, promoting its application in fields such as architecture, optoelectronics, and energy storage.