**5. Conclusions**

Natural filler-based composites have been widely used in order to preserve nature. Owing to their good mechanical properties, such as high strength, stiffness, durability and cellulose, they have caught the attention of many researchers aiming to fully utilize the potential of this natural resource. However, in comparison to synthetic fibers, these natural cellulosic fibers have poor mechanical properties, due to poor compatibility with the composite matrix. They are hydrophilic, which means that they disperse in the presence of hydroxyl, and the polar groups make the cellulose hydrophilic, which tends to form a strong network and agglomerates, making it difficult to uniformly dispersed in the latex matrix. As a result, natural fibers should be surface treated to increase the thermodynamic miscibility and interface bonding strength before being used as reinforcement materials in polymer composites. Through surface modification, the hydrophobicity of the cellulose can be improved and helps improve the dispersibility of the cellulose in the latex matrix. After surface modification, the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite were improved, and at the same time, provide biodegradability to the final products. The improvement in the dispersibility and properties of waste/raw natural filler in latexbased composite provides a wide range of potential applications in industries including biodegradable gloves, flexible display, sensor, medical application, agriculture and the construction industry.

**Author Contributions:** D.N.S. involved in writing the manuscript and A.R.A. involved in reviewing and editing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (grant no: FRGS/1/2020/TK0/USM/01/2).

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by School of Materials and Mineral Resources, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**

