Improving the Properties of Banana Fiber Reinforced Polymeric Composites by Treating the Fibers

This study looks at two different chemical treatments designed to promote the interfacial bonding between banana fibers and an LDPE matrix: peroxide treatment and permanganate treatment. The effects of the treatments on the tensile properties of individual banana pseudo-stem fibers were explored, with peroxide treatment enhancing the tensile properties and permanganate treatment having an inconclusive effect. Some interesting results from composite processing are briefly explored, leading to peroxide treated fibers being excluded from composite testing. The flexural and tensile properties of untreated and permanganate treated injection molded composite parts were then explored. Untreated banana pseudo-stem fibers provided a measurable increase in composite properties, especially in tensile stiffness. Permanganate treated fibers provided little to no advantage in composite properties compared to their untreated counterparts, even with post-fracture analysis showing enhanced interfacial bonding.