Abstract:
The use of natural fibres as fillers in the rubber industry is a new trend. Banana fibre
has been incorporated into phenol formaldehyde and polyester resins as a reinforcing material However, the use of banana fibre in dry rubber formulations is novel. The objective of the prese study is to investigate the effect of fibre loading on rheological properties and the physico-mechanical properties of a dry rubber compound with the aim of using banana fibre as potential filler for natural rubber vulcanizates. In this study, ground fibres in a range of 0.01 - 1.2 mm were prepared and incorporated into a natural rubber compound at fibre loading from 0 to 50 phr at 10 phr intervals Coupling agent, a two component system of phenol formaldehyde and hexamethylene tetra amine
was also used. Hardness and modulus increased with the banana fibre loading while tensile properties decreased. With incorporation of the coupling agent, hardness and modulus further increased, tensile strength, elongation at break and tear strength increased at every fibre loading by up to 40%, 200% and 22% respectively. Banana fibre alone behaved as a diluent filler, but banana fibre with the coupling agent showed a reinforcement to the rubber compound.
