Banana Fiber Extraction and Surface Characterization of Hybrid Banana Reinforced Composite

Abstract

ABSTRACT For many engineering applications, especially in case of automobiles, natural fibers are a better replacement for artificially made fibers when it is reinforced as polymer composite materials. Here, banana fiber, a socio-economic natural fiber was used in higher volume fractions for reinforcement with the synthetic carbon fiber. Four different specimens, namely S1, S2, S3, and S4 consisting of 80%, 70%, 60%, and 50% volume fraction of banana fiber, were reinforced with the carbon fiber by hand lay-up method. The banana fibers used were chemically treated using a 5% NaOH solution to enhance their mechanical properties. Various mechanical-oriented properties like flexural, tensile, and impact strength of the prepared specimens were analyzed. The samples S1, S2, S3, and S4 could survive 243, 246, 249, and 253 MPa of flexural strength, a tensile strength of 173.2, 175.5, 177.1, and 179.3 MPa, elongation of 14.11%, 13.92%, 13.72%, and 13.51% and impact strength of 16, 16.5, 16.9, and 17.3 J, respectively. SEM investigation has been obtained for specimen S1 with optimal mechanical properties for further study on voids and fracture over the surface of the reinforced matrix composite material. The study shows that epoxy incorporation over banana fiber composites improved the fiber-matrix adhesion and compatibility.