BENGALURU: Each part of the banana plant is used for its many benefits, and now again, engineering students have found a unique way to use banana fibre to craft tiles. These tiles made of banana fibre are nearly seven times stronger than ceramic tiles, and are waterproof due to their resin coating.
While ceramic tiles can withstand pressures of up to 1,300 newtons, these tiles made using banana fibres can withstand 7,500 newtons and register at 52.37% megapascals in flexural tests, which explains their weight-bearing capacity.
“Banana fibre is used because of its high tensile strength. A hardener and chemical solutions such as calcium carbonate and sodium hydroxide were incorporated into the composite which is made by mixing two materials, to enhance its resistance, tensile strength, and thickness,” Amit Kumar, one of the four students of MVJ College of Engineering, who created the tiles explained.
“The tiles are constructed by stacking up to seven sheets on top of each other. These sheets are positioned at angles of 0 degrees, 30 degrees, and 60 degrees to ensure tight packing using a vacuum before the resin coating is applied,” Amit told TNIE.
“The process begins by soaking the banana fibre in a solution of sodium hydroxide, followed by the application of the hardener. Calcium Carbonate is incorporated in varying percentages, ranging from 0% to 20%, to enhance the hardness of the tile. Additional tests are conducted to measure water resistance, ensuring that the tiles remain waterproof after being coated with resin.”
The entire process, including material selection, fabrication of the composite material, and testing of mechanical properties, typically spans approximately two months, he added.
Amit, Karthik, Parasanna, and Pruthviraja, all final year Mechanical Engineering students, who made these unique tiles said that the tiles need to go through various other tests before they can be commercially sold.