This study reveals the potential use of red mud, the industrial waste, as a filler material for making banana fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites. Composites are prepared through hand lay-up and subjected to mechanical testing to find impact, flexural, and tensile strengths. Taguchi design of experiments with L9 orthogonal array is used to optimize the parameter with respect to length, treatment, and weight fraction of fiber and red mud weight percentage. Fiber of different lengths (5, 10, and 15 mm) with different treatments (NaOH and silane), different weight fractions (15, 20, and 25 wt%), and red mud of different weight compositions (5, 10, and 15 wt%) are taken for this study. Scanning electron microscopy study is carried out to observe inference about the fracture behavior of composites and the optimized results are reported.
PontikesYVangelatosIBoufounosDimitri. Environmental aspects on the use of Bayer’s process bauxite residue in the production of ceramics. Adv Sci Technol2006; 45: 2176–2181.
2.
LiuYLinCWuY. Characterization of red mud derived from a combined Bayer process and bauxite calcination method. J Hazard Mater2007; 146: 255–261.
3.
PinnockWRGordonJN. Assessment of strength development in Bayer-process residues. J Mater Sci1992; 27: 692–696.
4.
AkinciAAkbulutHYilmazF. The effect of the red mud on polymer crystallization and the interaction between the polymer – filler. Polym Plast Technol Eng2007; 46: 31–36.
5.
PothanLAThomasS. Effect of hybridization and chemical modification on the water-absorption behavior of banana fiber–reinforced polyester composites. J Appl Polym Sci2004; 91: 3856–3865.
6.
PothanLAGeorgeCNJacobM. Effect of chemical modification on the mechanical and electrical properties of banana fiber polyester composites. J Compos Mater2007; 41: 2371–2386.
7.
SapuanSMLeenieAHarimiM. Mechanical properties of woven banana fibre reinforced epoxy composites. Mater Des2006; 27: 689–693.
8.
PothanLAGeorgeJThomasS. Effect of fiber surface treatments on the fiber–matrix interaction in banana fiber reinforced polyester composite. Compos Interfaces2002; 9: 335–353.
9.
WongKJYousifBFLowKO. The effects of alkali treatment on the interfacial adhesion of bamboo fibers. Proc IMechE Part L: J Materials: Design and Applications2010; 224: 139–148.
10.
VenkateshwaranNElayaPerumalAAlavudeenA. Mechanical and water absorption behaviour of banana/sisal reinforced hybrid composites. Mater Des2011; 32: 4017–4021.
11.
BiswasSSatapathyA. A comparative study on erosion characteristics of red mud filled bamboo–epoxy and glass–epoxy composites. Mater Des2010; 31: 1752–1767.
12.
MahapatraSSDattaS. A grey based Taguchi method for wear assessment of red mud filled polyester composites. Int J Model Optim2011; 1: 80–88.
13.
MahapatraSSPatnaikASatapathyA. Taguchi method applied to parametric appraisal of erosion behavior of GF-reinforced polyester composites. Wear2008; 265: 214–222.
14.
MahapatraSSPatnaikA. Study on mechanical and erosion wear behavior of hybrid composites using Taguchi experimental design. Mater Des2009; 30: 2791–2801.
15.
SatapathyAPatnaikA. Erosion wear response of flyash-glass fiber-polyester composites: a study using Taguchi experimental design. Malaysian Polym J2009; 4: 13–28.
16.
PatnaikASatapathyAMahapatraSS. Tribo-performance of polyester hybrid composites: damage assessment and parameter optimization using Taguchi design. Mater Des2009; 30: 57–67.
17.
ChowWSYapYP. Optimization of process variables on flexural properties of epoxy/organo-montmorillonite nanocomposite by response surface methodology. eXPRESS Polym Lett2008; 2: 2–11.
18.
KhosrokhavarRNaderiGBakhshandehGR. Effect of processing parameters on PP/EPDM/organoclay nanocomposites using Taguchi analysis method. Iran Polym J2011; 20: 41–53.
19.
JoulazadehMNavarchianAH. Effect of process variables on mechanical properties of polyurethane/clay nanocomposites. Polym Adv Technol2010; 21: 263–271.
20.
BhattacharyaMBhowmickAK. Analysis of wear characteristics of natural rubber nanocomposites. Wear2010; 269: 152–166.
21.
SathiyamurthySThaheerASAJayabalS. Mechanical behaviours of calcium carbonate-impregnated short coir fibre-reinforced polyester composites. Proc IMechE Part L: J Materials: Design and Applications2012; 226: 52–60.
22.
SinghVKGopePCSakshiC. Mechanical behavior of banana fiber based hybrid bio composites. J Mater Environ Sci2012; 3: 185–194.
23.
NandiAKDebKDattaS. Studies on effective thermal conductivity of particle-reinforced polymeric flexible mould material composites. Proc IMechE Part L: J Materials: Design and Applications2011; 225: 149–159.
