Effect of chemical treatment on mechanical behavior of banana fiber reinforced polymer composites

Abstract

Composite materials have gained popularity in various high-performance applications such as aerospace and automotive industry. The rising concern about the environmental issues and the need for more versatile composite materials have led to an increase in research interest regarding advanced composite materials using natural fibers as reinforcement. The objective of the present research endeavor is to investigate the effect of chemical treatment on the mechanical properties of Banana fiber (BF) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. Thermal properties of treated and untreated fibers have been examined using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Composites incorporating Banana fiber (10, 20 and 30% w: w) treated with NaOH (5% w: v) aqueous solution were developed. The extrusion-injection molding technique was used to fabricate the composite specimens. The mechanical properties of developed composites have been investigated and compared. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of tensile tested specimens has been carried out to investigate the fracture behavior of the developed composites. A significant improvement in mechanical properties revealed that the developed composites have great potential to be used in numerous engineering applications. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.