Banana and plantain fiber-reinforced polymer composites

Abstract

Abstract Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites have been widely explored by many researchers due to their improved modulus and lightness compared to other conventional construction materials such as wood, metal, and steel. Cultivators only harvest banana and plantain fruits for food and leaves for food wrapping. The other portions of the plant are considered as wastes and a potential resource of natural fibers used as reinforcement in composites. Over the years, a plethora of research works has been done on banana and plantain fibers as fillers in plastic composites. Comprehensive catalogues of preparation techniques and mechanical properties were presented. The mechanical properties of banana fiber reinforcement in polyester and epoxy composites were compared to and contrasted with those of other natural fibers to elucidate its superiority or inferiority to those materials. This work gives an overview of the current state of knowledge of banana fiber-reinforced composites alongside the available research gaps.