Mechanical and thermal properties of short banana fiber reinforced polyoxymethylene composite materials dependent on alkali treatment

The present study aimed to develop a recyclable composite material based on a natural product, namely banana fiber, instead of synthetic reinforcement elements such as glass fiber or carbon fiber in thermoplastic matrix composites employed in many aspects of daily life. Polyoxymethylene (POM) thermoplastic was used as the matrix material. 3 %, 6 %, and 9 % by weight short natural banana fiber was used as reinforcement. Furthermore, the study improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite material with chemical improvements based on alkali treatment of banana fiber. Banana fiber and POM was initially mixed mechanically and then extruded at temperatures between 170 and 190 °C to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The mixture obtained by extrusion was initially cooled in the cooling pool and then passed through the crusher to obtain granules. These granules were pressed in plastic injection molds to obtain standard test samples. The ratio of reinforcement material and the variations in mechanical and thermal properties of the composites induced by the alkali treatment are presented in figures and tables. Furthermore, the changes in cross-sectional material images were examined with electron microscopy scans. The tensile and flexural strength of the material improved with alkali treatment.