Treatment of banana fiber for use in the reinforcement of polymeric matrices

Recent studies on the use of vegetable fibers in polymers have led to the conclusion that the fibers must be treated to improve their adherence to plastic matrices. The present study investigated the effect of physical and chemical treatments on the suitability of fiber from the Canary banana tree for use as reinforcement for polymers in injection molding processes. This fiber has the advantage of being derived from the vegetable waste that is produced by farms involved in banana cultivation in the Canary Islands. Sodium hydroxide and maleic anhydride were used to treat the fiber under different conditions of pressure and temperature, and then the fiber was examined by thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The best treatment for improving the thermal properties of banana fiber, with no significant decrease in mechanical behavior, for use in a composite was a combination of 1 N NaOH and saturation pressure.

► The FTIR results conclude that banana fiber has a similar spectrum to cellulose.
► Banana fiber contains substances that must be removed before it can be used.
► It seems that the influence of pressure is more important than NaOH concentration.