Evaluation of tensile properties of fibers extracted from banana peels

Abstract

Tensile properties of banana fibres extracted from the peel of the fruit of the Cavendish sub-group were studied. A total of 43 fibres were manually extracted from the peel of green bananas, measuring five diameters from each fibre. The fibres were examined under the optical microscope up to a 50x magnification and their cross-sectional area (CSA) was observed. Tensile tests were conducted on the extracted banana fibres and Young’s modulus was calculated using apparent area from microscopy observations, then calculating a fibre area correction factor (FACF) to reduce the relevant error. Geometry and extent of the lumen was also measured.