Investigations on load bearing, wear, and thermal conductivity behavior of ligno-cellulosic banana fiber and Citrus limetta peel extracted pectin-reinforced vinyl ester composite
摘要
The key purpose of the research is to investigate the performance of lingo-cellulosic banana fiber and pectin extracted from citrus limetta peel on the mechanical, wear, and thermal conductivity behavior of vinyl ester composites. The pectin biopolymer is extracted from the waste citrus limetta peels and silane treated using aminosilane. Further, the composites are developed using hand layup method and characterized according to ASTM standards. Results revealed that in comparison to the original specimen, RLP2 with 3 vol.% pectin exhibits superior mechanical properties, including tensile strength of 162.6 MPa, ILSS of 41.2 MPa, flexural strength of 213 MPa, and impact strength of 5.4 J, with improvements of 97, 86.8, 40, and 35%. These enhanced values result from optimal fiber-matrix interfacial adhesion, which enhances structural integrity and stress transfer. Conversely, the composite specimen RLP4 with 5 vol.% pectin exhibits high shore-D hardness of 87, hot conductivity of 0.47 W/mK, and wear resistance with a COF of 0.16 and a Sp. wear rate of 0.013 mm3/Nm. This is due to the enhanced fiber-matrix bonding, which also enhances hardness and promotes better heat conductivity, increasing the composite’s density and stiffness. The outcomes clearly show that natural material-reinforced composites have good mechanical qualities and performance, and they can be used for a number of purposes.