Investigation of lightweight pumice epoxy core woven banana fiber sandwich composites

Abstract Substantial agricultural biomass possessing inherent potential for lignocellulosic fiber is discarded as waste post‐harvest in developing nations. Natural fibers are the right candidate to replace the synthetic ones to promote a sustainable economy and green environment. The present study concentrates on the fabrication of a core of lightweight pumice particles interspersed among woven banana fiber composites. Epoxy cores were produced by altering the quantity of pumice content (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt.%) while maintaining a constant woven banana fiber content of 40 wt.%. Composites were processed via the hand layup method. The objective of the effort is to improve the performance of composites by utilizing the distinct qualities of pumice, hence customizing the characteristics of the composite material to satisfy particular application demands. The tensile and flexural qualities improve with an increase in pumice content in the core, suggesting the advantageous effects of reinforcing pumice to boost the properties. The scanning electron micrographs are analyzed to comprehend the microstructure and its influence on the characteristics. The numerical simulation results are employed to corroborate the study's conclusions. The numerical results align well with experimental observations, exhibiting a 3% reduction in accuracy. Highlights Sandwich composites fabricated with pumice/epoxy core and woven banana fibers. Tensile and flexural characteristics are examined and simulated. Pumice affects the flexural and tensile characteristics of composites. Flexural modulus and strength exhibit considerable improvement with an increase in pumice content.