Mechanical Behavior of Banana Fiber Based Hybrid Bio Composites

With growing environmental awareness, ecological concerns and new legislations, bio-fiber-reinforced plastic composites have received increasing attention during the recent decades. The composites have many advantages over traditional glass fiber or inorganic mineral-filled materials, including lower cost, lighter weight, environmental friendliness, and recyclability. In the present work a banana fiber and silica powder reinforced composite material is developed. Scanning electron microscopy shows that banana fibers are well dispersed in the resin matrix. Addition of fiber increases the modulus of elasticity and decreases the ultimate tensile strength of the epoxy. And further addition of silica also increases the modulus of elasticity reduces the ultimate tensile strength. Addition of banana highly reduces yield strength and addition of silica gives better results than banana reinforced composites but still having yield strength highly reduced. Banana reinforced improve the impact strength of epoxy materials. Addition of fibers increases the capacity of water absorption. This test is necessary where the composites are used in moisture affected areas. Addition of banana fiber reduces bending strength and addition of silica with banana has not given better bending strength than banana fiber reinforced composites.