Optimization of Tensile Strength in Unidirectional Banana Midrib Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Abstract:

Natural fiber-reinforced composites have emerged as sustainable alternatives to synthetic composites owing to their biodegradability, high availability, and low cost. Among them, banana midrib fiber offers great potential as reinforcement due to its high cellulose content and abundance as agricultural waste. This study investigates the optimization of tensile strength in unidirectional banana midrib fiber-reinforced composites by examining the influence of fiber volume fraction. Banana midrib fibers were treated with 3% and 4% Natrium Hydroxide (NaOH) solutions to enhance interfacial bonding and then combined with polyester matrix to fabricate composite specimens. Tensile strength was evaluated experimentally according to ASTM D638 standards, while theoretical predictions based on the Rule of Mixtures and statistical modeling using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were employed for validation and optimization. The results show that tensile strength increased with fiber content up to a critical volume fraction, which fiber agglomeration led to reduced performance. The maximum tensile strength of 44.4 MPa was achieved at a fiber volume fraction of approximately 42% with 4% NaOH solution. RSM demonstrated strong predictive accuracy, with results closely matching experimental data. These findings confirm that both fiber treatment and optimized fiber loading play a decisive role in achieving superior mechanical performance, supporting the use of banana midrib fibers in sustainable engineering applications.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1196)
• Pages: 91-98
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-s7sBPy
• Online since: June 2026
• Authors: Ari Wahjudi*, Firman Maulana Ishaq, Djarot B. Darmadi, Anindito Purnowidodo, Agung Sugeng Widodo, Khairul Anam
• Keywords: Banana Midrib Fiber, Natural Fiber Composites, Optimization, Response Surface Methodology, Tensile Strength

References

[1] Singh S, Naik N, Sooriyaperakasam N, Iyer T, Agarwal C, Tirupathi J, et al. A Comprehensive Review of Banana Fiber-Reinforced Composites: Properties, Processing and Applications. Journal of Computers, Mechanical and Management. 2022 Dec 31;1(2):36–49.

DOI: 10.57159/gadl.jcmm.1.2.22011

[2] Lee CH, Khalina A, Lee SH. Importance of Interfacial Adhesion Condition on Characterization of Plant-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Review. Polymers. 2021; 13(3):438.

DOI: 10.3390/polym13030438

[3] Prakash K., Fageehi Y., Saminathan R., Kumar P., Saravanakumar S., Subbiah R.et al.. Influence of Fiber Volume and Fiber Length on Thermal and Flexural Properties of a Hybrid Natural Polymer Composite Prepared with Banana Stem, Pineapple Leaf, and S‐Glass. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 2021;2021(1).

DOI: 10.1155/2021/6329400

[4] Filho F., Oliveira M., Assis F., Pereira A., Luz F., Demosthenes L.et al.. Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Banana Fibers Reinforcement in Different Thermoset Matrix Composites. Materials Science Forum 2020;1012:20-25.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.1012.20

[5] Kumar S., Agrawal A., Ali S., & Manral A.. Exploring the influence of fiber orientation on the mechanical characteristics of polymer composites reinforced with banana and corn fibers. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part L Journal of Materials Design and Applications 2024;239(2):283-296.

DOI: 10.1177/14644207241260662

[6] Gairola S., Gupta N., Joshi S., Dhama S., & Aggarwal S.. Enhancing mechanical properties of natural fiber composites: a study on the effects of fiber loading and filler addition. Engineering Research Express 2023;5(4):045088.

DOI: 10.1088/2631-8695/ad112c

[7] Mohan T. and Kanny K.. Nanoclay infused banana fiber and its effects on mechanical and thermal properties of composites. Journal of Composite Materials 2015;50(9):1261-1276.

DOI: 10.1177/0021998315590265

[8] Gibson RF. Principles of Composite Material Mechanics. CRC Press; 2016.

[9] ASTM International. ASTM D638-14, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics. ASTM International; 2015.

[10] Yang M., Wang F., Zhou S., Lu Z., Ran S., Li L.et al.. Thermal and mechanical performance of unidirectional composites from bamboo fibers with varying volume fractions. Polymer Composites 2019;40(10):3929-3937

DOI: 10.1002/pc.25253

[11] Liu X., Hao S., Cui Y., & Chen H.. Improvement on the interfacial compatibility of jute fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites by different surface treatments. Journal of Industrial Textiles 2018;49(7):906-922

DOI: 10.1177/1528083718801366

[12] Kumar P., Singh J., Kumari N., Jurail S., Verma D., & Maurya A.. Study of mechanical and thermal behavior of alkali modified groundnut shell powder reinforced ABS composites. Polymer Composites 2022;43(7):4569-4587

DOI: 10.1002/pc.26713

[13] Raj R., Sathish S., Mansadevi T., Supriya R., Surakasi R., Aravindh M.et al.. Investigation of Weight Fraction and Alkaline Treatment on Catechu Linnaeus/Hibiscus cannabinus/Sansevieria Ehrenbergii Plant Fibers-Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 2022;2022:1-9

DOI: 10.1155/2022/4940531

[14] Nhuapeng W., Chintonguyad T., & Thamjaree W.. The Influence of Alkaline Treatment on Tensile Properties of Short Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Biocomposites. Journal of Physics Conference Series 2022;2175(1):012004

DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2175/1/012004

[15] Azeez T. and Onukwuli O. Tensile responses of treated Cissus populnea fibers. Nigerian Journal of Technology 2018;37(1):173

DOI: 10.4314/njt.v37i1.23

[16] Hassan A., Isa M., Ishak Z., Ishak N., Rahman N., & Salleh F.. Characterization of sodium hydroxide-treated kenaf fibres for biodegradable composite application. High Performance Polymers 2018;30(8):890-899

DOI: 10.1177/0954008318784997

[17] Devireddy S. and Biswas S.. Physical and mechanical behavior of unidirectional banana/jute fiber reinforced epoxy based hybrid composites. Polymer Composites 2015;38(7):1396-1403

DOI: 10.1002/pc.23706

[18] Irawan A. and Sukania I.. Tensile Strength of Banana Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites Materials. Applied Mechanics and Materials 2015;776:260-263

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.776.260

[19] Sekaran A., Kumar K., & Rajarajan S.. Numerical and experimental analysis on tensile properties of banana and glass fibers reinforced epoxy composites. Sadhana 2016;41(11):1357-1367.

DOI: 10.1007/s12046-016-0554-z