Bacterial Cellulose- Natural Fiber Composites Produced by Fibers Extracted from Banana Peel Waste
Tayyab Naveed
Recently, there is a growing demand for low-cost raw materials, renewable resources, and eco-friendly end products. Recently natural fibers have attracted much attention as reinforcement material for the production of composites because of the desired attributes, which include low density, less abrasiveness, biodegradability, lightweight, low cost, renewability, abundant availability, and eco-friendliness. So they are sometimes considered as a feasible alternative for expensive, non-renewable, and abrasive synthetic fibers. Surface treatment and modification of natural fibers are essential to improve the interaction between reinforcing fibers and the polymer matrix. Regardless of their drawbacks, the commercial use of some natural fiber composites in non-load-bearing applications has notably increased. In the current study, natural fibers extracted from banana peel were coated with bacterial cellulose through a green biosynthesis approach and a simple slurry dipping method. Thus, natural fibers from banana peel waste were used first to produce bacterial cellulose-natural fiber composites.