Effects of Musa textilis fiber loadings in physical-mechanical properties of recycled thermoplastic compounds

Abstract

Abstract Developing composite materials has become an attractive option to incorporate thermoplastic waste into a circular economy model; for that thing, natural fibers are used to improve the properties of the biomaterial to be consistent with multiple industrial sectors. The study aimed to evaluate the compatibility of M. textilis fiber combined with recycled plastics such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) without a cross-linking agent by characterizing the physical-mechanical properties. PE and PP were reinforced with four fiber loadings (0 as a control, 10, 20, and 30%); the physical (density, thickness swelling, water absorption, and weight increment), mechanical (dynamic elastic modulus, static bending, and traction) and specific (specific elastic modulus and the specific flexural modulus) properties were evaluated, in addition to characterizing the failure point in traction test with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and degree of dissimilarity between treatments (thermoplastic x fiber loadings). Overall, these results suggest that reinforcement with M. textilis improved the mechanical properties between 5 and 15% concerning the control; the specific properties showed that the biomaterials have conditions for industrial-grade use; the most common failure point was coarse river line type associated with thermoplastics, while fiber loadings at 10 and 20% showed failures associated with interfacial free spaces. For its part, treatments with a 30% fiber loading showed better properties associated with resistance. However, it is recommended to restrict its use outdoors or in conditions with prolonged water contact. Finally, our results demonstrate that recycled thermoplastics reinforcement with M. textile fiber improves the biomaterial's properties, expanding its potential commercial use.