Volume 22, Issue 57, January - June, 2025

Effect of Banana Stem Ash Reinforcement on Dry Sliding Wear Behavior of Polymer

Cheng Guang Ning, Farrukh MB, Ervina Efzan MN^♦

Centre for Manufacturing and Environmental Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, Bukit Beruang, 75450 Malacca, Malaysia.

^♦Corresponding author
Centre for Manufacturing and Environmental Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, Bukit Beruang, 75450 Malacca, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymers (NFRPCs) are often used due to their superior physical properties and higher biodegradability than other materials. The purpose of this study is to analyze the mechanical and tribological performances of NFRPCs, which include hardness, surface roughness, and surface morphology. The specific placement and nature of the reinforcement materials on the specimens are also analyzed for their role in the degree of surface roughness. Solutions for hardness determination (HV) were applied with the help of the Vickers hardness tester. As a result, it was found that the NFRPCs with polypropylene (PP) and Musa stem ash reinforcement demonstrated the highest HV value. On top of that, the surface morphology was examined using an optical microscope, and it was found that the PP/Musa ash composite exhibited the smoothest surface. The results obtained can potentially direct future research and industrial applications in the fields of materials science and engineering, along with adding to the expanding knowledge of NFRPCs.

Keywords: Natural fibre-reinforced polymer Composites, Polymer-matrix composite, Banana, Musa, Sliding wear, Polypropylene

Indian Journal of Engineering, 2025, 22(57), e7ije1698

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v22i57.e7ije1698

Published: 18 April 2025