A barkcloth-banana fiber bio nanocomposite with polyester resin for interior automotive panel.

Abstract

In the recent years, there has been a deep study in the area of bio-based polymer composites following the rapid depletion of petroleum resources as well as finding solutions to the increasing environmental issues caused by petrochemical composites, by developing eco- friendly, cheaper, eco-compatible and more sustainable green composites. The purpose of this article therefore is to present a summary of the potential use of barkcloth-banana fiber reinforced polyester resin bio composites particularly for interior automotive applications. Two categories of bio composites were prepared, those (1) based on untreated banana fibers and barkcloth, denoted by A1, B1, C1, D1 and (2) based on 5% NaOH treated banana fibers and barkcloth treated with nanocellulose denoted by A, B, C, D. Banana fibers were soaked in the alkali solution for 12 hours. Nanocellulose was extracted from barkcloth using the acid hydrolysis method and applied on the barkcloth fabrics by Pad-Dry-Cure method with concentration of 1% nanocellulose. The effect of nanocellulose was studied using FT/IR, SEM and DSC and it was concluded that treated barkcloth had better bonding capacity with the resin and thermally stable than the untreated barkcloth. While, the alkali-treatment of banana fibers degraded them rendering them brittle and consequently reduced their tensile and bending strength. The mechanical properties of both composites categories were also studied and it was found out that sample D1 showed the best tensile and flexural strength attributed to the fact that it was based on the un-degraded untreated banana fibers as opposed to the degraded alkali-treated banana fibers. Lastly, it was concluded that ‘the more the banana fiber layers, the higher the tensile and flexural strength’. According to literature, the threshold tensile and flexural strengths are 25MPa and 30MPa respectively and in relation to the obtained results, barkcloth and banana fibers can be used for reinforcing polymer matrices for automotive interior applications.