Development of Unconventional Fabric from Banana (Musa Acuminata) Fibre for Industrial Uses

Abstract

Banana fiber is a lingo-cellulosic under-exploited bast fiber, which obtained from the pseudo-stem of banana plant (Musa acuminata). In this study, an attempt has been made to explore the possibility of production of needle-punched nonwoven from fibrous material of biowaste for value addition and diversified uses. Mechanical processing for preparation of all banana, banana-jute (1:1), and banana-polypropylene (1:1) blended needle punched nonwoven has been optimized and processing parameters have been suggested. Softening treatment of banana fibre has been done successfully for better processing. Boiling in water with 1% nonionic detergent has been suggested as pre-processing for softening. Tenacity, elongation-at-break, initial modulus, breaking energy, stress relaxation, creep, compressibility, recovery-from-compression, bending load, electrical insulation, thermal insulation, sound insulation, air permeability, and frictional force have been evaluated and analyzed for all the above-mentioned samples. Based on those properties the probable use has been suggested as insulation (thermal and sound) and filter material.

Keywords

• banana fiber
• needle punched nonwoven
• softening
• process
• optimization
• properties