Experimental Investigation of Banana Fiber Composite Material

Abstract

In the present work, the experimental investigation on mechanical properties of banana natural fiber hybrid composites is done by testing for tensile ,impact and water absorption. Various samples were fabricated and tested for the better result .The outcome of the presented work will help the better utilization of natural composites as a replacement to the metals component. The leaf spring can be manufactured using banana natural fiber and the mechanical performance can be checked to know the effectiveness of the natural fiber composites. Various mechanical components made of natural fibers will be tried in future effectively.

Introduction

This study focuses on fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs), which are materials made by embedding reinforcing fibers within a polymer matrix to improve mechanical strength, stiffness, and durability. While synthetic fibers such as glass, carbon, and aramid are widely used, they have environmental and cost-related drawbacks. The research explores banana stem fibers as a sustainable natural alternative for composite reinforcement.

The literature review highlights that hybrid composites combining natural fibers (banana, flax, jute, coconut shell, walnut shell, rice husk) with synthetic fibers (glass, carbon, basalt) generally exhibit superior tensile, flexural, impact, and thermal properties compared to composites reinforced with natural fibers alone. These findings demonstrate the potential of hybrid composites in applications ranging from aerospace and automotive engineering to biomedical implants.

The study describes the manufacturing process of composite laminates using techniques such as hand lay-up, followed by specimen preparation through Water Jet Machining (WJM) according to ASTM standards. It also discusses typical fiber volume fractions used in polymer, ceramic, and metal matrix composites, emphasizing that higher fiber content generally improves strength and stiffness but increases manufacturing complexity and cost.

Several experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the composite's performance:

• Tensile Test: Measured mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation, while analyzing failure mechanisms like fiber breakage and delamination.
• Izod Impact Test: Assessed impact resistance and toughness. The composite absorbed approximately 1.5–1.55 J of energy, corresponding to an impact strength of about 544–565 J/m.
• Density Measurement: The cast composite exhibited densities of approximately 1312–1333 kg/m³.
• Water Absorption Test: After 7 days of immersion, moisture absorption remained very low (0.12–0.15%), indicating good resistance to water and environmental degradation.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Pawan Ramesh Pawar, Dr. Madhavi S. Harne. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.