Hybridization effect of coir fiber on physico-mechanical properties of polyethylene-banana/coir fiber hybrid composites

Abstract In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of coir fiber addition along with the banana fiber in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) to develop cost-effective and high-performance composite material. The composite samples were prepared at fixed fiber content (25 wt%) and with varying relative weight fraction of banana and coir fiber using compression molding technique. The effect of hybridization was analyzed through the mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact), thermal stability, morphological behavior, and water absorption behavior. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy studies had been carried out on the tensile fractured surface for all composite samples to examine the fracture behavior of the composite samples. The results showed that the incorporation of coir fiber into the banana fiber composites of up to 50% by weight led to enhancement of the mechanical properties and thermal stability and to reduction of the water absorption capacity of the banana fiber/LDPE composites.