Morphological and mechanical properties of chemically treated municipal solid waste (MSW)/banana fiber and their reinforcement in polymer composites

Municipal solid waste (MSW) generation increased rapidly due to the change in food habits, increasing urbanization and changed lifestyle of people. The aim of the present study was to analyze the possible use of MSW as filler in fiber-reinforced urea formaldehyde composites. The mechanical properties of the composites were investigated as a function of different volume fractions (V-f) of filler (MSW and banana fiber) and its chemical modification. The MSW was chemically treated using NaClO/H2O (1:1) at 60 degrees C and was analyzed using density measurement, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The water absorption and thermal behavior of both raw and treated MSW were also studied. The chemical composition of treated MSW showed decreased cellulose and lignin content compared to that of raw MSW. MSW/banana fiber-reinforced urea formaldehyde composites with different filler ratios were prepared. The composites were analyzed by SEM and tensile, flexural and impact strength tests. The tensile, flexural and impact strength increased up to 40% V-f of filler and then decreased, which indicates effective stress transfer between fillers and matrix. The chemically treated composites showed higher tensile and flexural strength compared to untreated composites due to the strong interfacial interaction between the resin and the fiber.