Properties of banana fibers extracted using equipment from the sisal agro-industry

The industrial revolution altered the way resources are consumed, primarily increasing the intensity of extraction with a tendency to exhaust natural reserves. It is necessary to replace artificial materials and those derived from non-renewable sources with biomaterials, particularly those characterized as waste from productive activities. In this context, banana fibers are used to reinforce biocomposites. However, to enhance the properties of the fibers used, it is essential that the extraction method minimally damages the fiber and enhances its properties from extraction to application in the composite. This research investigated the influence of the extraction method on the physical and mechanical properties of banana pseudostem fibers. For this purpose, the fibers were extracted manually and by decortication. Tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and Weibull, water absorption, dimensional variation, and surface morphology were evaluated using optical microscopy. The results indicated that mechanical extraction (decortication) tends to more intensely damage the fibers and produce materials with more defects, resulting in lower tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and higher water absorption.