Currently, the use of composites to replace parts made only with plastics has been gradually employed. The advantages of these composites are low cost, high availability of raw materials and good physical and mechanical properties. Thus, this work aimed at producing and characterizing composites produced with coconut fibre reinforced polyurethane matrices. The coconut fibres were studied as to their chemical constituents, aspect ratio, bulk density, pH, tensile properties, and surface SEM images. The composites were prepared using the hand lay-up process and four different concentrations of coconut fibre were evaluated: 30, 40, 50, and 60%. The composites were assessed as for water absorption after 20 days of immersion, bulk density, impact IZOD, tensile tests, and visualize the matrix-reinforcement interface using SEM. The electron micrographs showed a great deal of impurities on the surface of coconut fibres, such as greases, waxes, and gums, due to the high amount of extraction material (19.78%), which damages the adherence of the polymer onto the coconut fibre and, as observed, cause detachment between the reinforcement and the matrix. The tensile strength of the composites tended to increase as greater amounts of coconut fibres were added to the matrix. The averages were around 6.51 to 6.72 MPa for composites with 30 and 60% fibres, respectively. Therefore, coconut fibres can be considered as an alternative to synthetic fibres commonly used in composites, and they can be used at a ratio of 60% without prejudicing the properties of the composites, making them lighter and cheaper.

The use of the Hevea brasiliensis tree in latex rubber production has resulted in a consolidated role of this tree in the Brazilian economy. However, at the end of the productive cycle of the tree that lasts for approximately 25 years, the timber resulting from this venture has no added value and is usually used for the production of firewood. In order to introduce this species into the furniture and civil construction industry, the current study aimed to evaluate the quality of particleboard produced by adding Pinus oocarpa wood with Hevea brasiliensis wood in different ratios. The particleboards were produced with a nominal density of 0.60 g/cm³ and 8% (wt%) urea-formaldehyde resin and pressed at 160 °C for 8 min at a pressure of 4.0 MPa. The quality of the particleboard was evaluated by water absorption and thickness swelling, internal bonding, static bending, and screw withdrawal tests. The substitution of Pinus particles by Hevea wood resulted in decreased water absorption and thickness swelling. The boards produced with a higher proportion of Hevea had better dimensional stability due to the greater porosity of the Pinus oocarpa particles. The inclusion of Hevea brasiliensis wood resulted in a 75% increase in the modulus of rupture and a 300% increase in internal bonding compared with the particleboards produced only with Pinus oocarpa wood. The results show that Hevea brasiliensis wood could be used to obtain higher value-added products and contribute to the diversification of the raw materials used in the particleboard industries of Brazil.

The accumulation of petroleum polymers compromises biodiversity and causes environmental problems. Nanocellulose enhances biodegradability and can improve the physical-mechanical performance of materials. The objective was to produce and characterize hybrid films composed of bacterial cellulose (BC) and plant nanocellulose from Eucalyptus (Euc) or Pinus (Pin). Films were produced by the casting method using filmogenic suspensions with different cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) proportions from both the sources (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %). CNFs suspensions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The morphology of the films was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the transparency, contact angle, wettability, oil and water vapor barrier and mechanical properties were also evaluated. The contact angles were smaller for films with BC and the wettability was greater when comparing BC with plant CNFs (0.10 ° s − 1 {\text{s}^{-1}} for 75 % Euc/25 % BC and 0.20 ° s − 1 {\text{s}^{-1}} for 25 % Euc/75 % BC). The water vapor permeability (WVP) of the 100 % BC films and the 25 % Euc/75 % BC composition were the highest among the studied compositions. Tensile strength, Young’s modulus and puncture strength decreased considerably with the addition of BC in the films. More studies regarding pre-treatments to purify BC are needed to improve the mechanical properties of the films.