Polyester Hybrid Composite Reinforced with Banana Fibre and Kota Stone: Physical, Mechanical, and Tribological Characteristics

Abstract

In this study, a new polyester-based polymer composite was developed with a constant banana fibre content of 6 wt. % and varied Kota stone dust content from 5 wt. % to 20 wt. % through a hand lay-up process. Test results indicated that incorporating Kota stone dust together with banana fibre tended to improve the overall performance of the composite material. Experimental results indicated that increasing the proportion of Kota stone dust in the polyester resin led to higher density, greater void formation, and increased water absorption. As the amount of Kota dust rose, the tensile and flexural strengths of the composite declined, while impact resistance, compressive strength and surface hardness improved. When the filler content reached 20 wt. %, tensile strength decreased by about 19% and flexural strength by 20%. At this same loading, the best performance in impact strength, compressive strength and hardness was recorded, with values of 29.8 kJ/m², 125.7 MPa and 92 Shore D number. The optimization of Specific Wear Rate (SWR) was carried out using the Taguchi design of experiments with an L16 orthogonal array. The variables considered included Kota stone dust percentage, applied load, sliding speed, and sliding distance. Results from the analysis revealed that filler content had the most significant effect on the specific wear rate, followed in order by sliding velocity, sliding distance, and normal load.