The role of interfacial interactions on the mechanical properties of banana fibre reinforced phenol formaldehyde composites

Banana fibre has been modified with silane treatments, acetylation, cyanoethylation, latex treatment and mercerization to improve the interfacial bonding with phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of the banana fibre. The tensile properties of the modified fibre were compared with the untreated fibre and it was found that the tensile strength and modulus of the fibre were decreased by all the treatments except cyanoethylation. Tensile, flexural and impact performance of phenol formaldehyde composites reinforced with various treated fibres were analyzed and compared with that of untreated fibre composite. The tensile and flexural properties of the fibre-reinforced composites were found to be increased by all the modifications except latex coating. Incorporation of heat-treated, vinyl silane-treated and acetylated fibre-reinforced PF composites was found to have higher impact strength than that of untreated fibre/compsites. The tensile fractographs of the composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy to analyze the fibre/matrix interaction, fibre pull-out and fracture mechanism of the composites.