Development and Characterization of Thermomechanically Treated and Untreated Banana Rachis Fiber/PLA Composites for...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Agricultural waste, such as banana rachis, presents an opportunity for sustainable material development.
• Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer suitable for additive manufacturing but often requires property enhancement.
• Enhancing PLA composites with natural fibers can lead to improved mechanical performance and reduced environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biodegradable composite material using PLA reinforced with banana rachis fibers.
• To evaluate the effect of thermomechanical processing (TMP) on banana rachis fibers for additive manufacturing applications.
• To characterize the morphological, thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of the developed PLA-banana rachis fiber composites.

Main Methods:

• Material extrusion additive manufacturing (MEX) was employed to process PLA-based composites.
• Banana rachis fibers were prepared with and without thermomechanical processing.
• Composite formulations with varying fiber content (0-15 wt.%) were analyzed using TGA, DSC, rheology, mechanical testing, and SEM.

Main Results:

• Thermomechanically processed (WTP) banana rachis fibers reinforced the PLA matrix, significantly increasing tensile and flexural modulus.
• Tensile modulus increased from 2273.54 MPa (neat PLA) to 2612.51 MPa (PLA-15% WTP fiber).
• Flexural modulus rose from 2456 MPa (neat PLA) to 3189.68 MPa (PLA-15% WTP composite).

Conclusions:

• The developed PLA-banana rachis fiber composite is feasible for additive manufacturing.
• Thermomechanical processing of banana rachis fibers enhances the mechanical properties of PLA composites.
• This study demonstrates the potential for creating sustainable, high-quality 3D-printed parts from agricultural waste.