Development of fruit peel biomass cellulose and pineapple leaf fibre polyester composite: fatigue, creep, flammability, and thermal conductivity behaviour

The objective of this research is to explore the fatigue, creep, flammability, and thermal conductivity performance of a polyester bio-composite developed using cellulose extracted from jackfruit seed husk and pineapple leaf fibre. The fabrication of the composite involves mixing the jackfruit husk cellulose with the matrix and employing the hand layup technique. Both the cellulose and fibre undergo silane treatment to enhance the composite’s strength. The study conducts a comprehensive characterisation of the composite material following ASTM standards. The findings indicate that the composite labelled PC2, with a 2 vol.% filler addition, exhibits the highest fatigue life counts of 25,860, 21,446, and 16,530 for 25%, 50%, and 75% of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), along with minimal creep strain values of 0.0326, 0.036, 0.039, 0.041, and 0.045 over time intervals of 2000s, 4000 s, 6000 s, 8000 s, and 10,000 s. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal enhanced bonding between reinforcements and the matrix. Despite a slight impact on flame resistance, the addition of cellulose maintains a V-0 flame rating. Furthermore, the composite designation PC3, containing 4 vol. % cellulose, records the highest thermal conductivity at 0.192 W/mK. These time-dependent property improvements suggest that the developed composites could find applications in various industries, including automotive, aviation, defence, household appliances, and the space sector.