Banana fibre: a natural and sustainable bioresource for eco-friendly applications

Natural fibres of plant and animal origin have been explored vastly over the last two decades and are gaining importance over synthetic counterparts owing to their biodegradability, renewability, lightweight and better biochemical and strength properties. Plant-based natural fibres such as banana, coir, sisal, jute, kenaf and many others have been studied for industrial applications. Among these, banana fibre is of major interest as banana is one of the most consumed fruit worldwide with annual production of 115.7 million tonnes in the year 2018 and is grown in 130 countries, which makes banana waste available locally. Various parts of banana plant such as fruit, fruit peel, flower bud, leaves and pseudo-stem (banana trunk) are utilized for different industrial purposes. Pseudo-stem is the major portion of banana waste biomass and yields good quality fibre that has the potential for industrial applications in the making of sanitary pads, textiles, pulp and paper, food and reinforced composite materials for automobiles, construction material, aerospace and other composite materials. Recently, Philippine Department of Science and Technology prepared masks from banana fibre which can cut the usage of single usage plastic. This review outlines various methods of extraction of fibre, biochemical and mechanical properties of banana fibre and its applications. [GRAPHICS]

Automated summary

Banana fibre, extracted from different parts of the banana plant, shows great potential for various industrial applications due to its easy availability and high-quality properties. The fibre can be used in the production of a wide range of products, offering eco-friendly alternatives to traditional materials.