Mechanical characterization of alkaline treated Ananus Comosus and Musa Sepientum fibers reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

Abstract

In this present investigation, pineapple and banana fibers were selected as reinforcement and extracted from Ananus Comosus and Musa Sepientum plants respectively. Pineapple and banana fibers are treated with 5% NaOH solution to remove non-cellulosic elements such as hemicellulose, lignin and waxy elements. Five different hybrid composites were designated as function of weight fraction of fibers and fabricated by compression moulding techniques. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength and hardness are conducted as per ASTM standards. It was observed that, the composite with 20 wt% treated pineapple and 10 wt% treated banana could display higher mechanical properties than other weight fraction. The hybrid composite with more than or less than 20 wt% of pineapple fiber experiences fiber pullout, fiber breakage, micro cracks at interface and non-uniform distribution of fiber and matrix resulting in poor mechanical properties.