Faculty Publications
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Item Isolation of microcrystalline cellulose from Musa paradisiaca (banana) plant leaves: physicochemical, thermal, morphological, and mechanical characterization for lightweight polymer composite applications(Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2024) Indra Reddy, M.I.; Sethuramalingam, P.; Sahu, R.K.Natural cellulose owing to its remarkable microstructural and physiochemical behaviour, and its eco-friendliness have attracted significant interest among the researchers. Therefore, in this work, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is extracted from the Musa paradisiaca plant leaf (MPPL) debris which is accumulated in large quantity and treated as waste material. The purified micro-cellulose is obtained by subjecting the MPPL raw material to alkali treatment followed by acid hydrolysis, bleaching and slow pyrolysis. From the FT-IR spectra of the cleaned cellulose, it is observed that its amorphous phase is eliminated. The crystallinity index is found to be 87.42% and this value is attributed to the sodium chlorite bleaching. The particle size analyzer results show that the micro-cellulose found to have a bimodal distribution with an average size of 35.97 μm and standard deviation 16.53. It is evident from SEM that the microcrystalline cellulose is of semi-spherical in shape and found to be aggregated with uneven distribution. Further, TGA analysis is carried out in this work and the results show that the microcrystalline cellulose can exhibit high heat resistance up to 297 °C. Surface roughness values (Ra) for MPPL MCC is 58.41 μm. The properties are well suited for futuristic polymer composite applications such as filler addition in biofilm for packaging industries and coating material in pharma industries. © The Polymer Society, Taipei 2024.Item Jute/basalt fabrics in microcellulosic-filled epoxy composites for lightweight applications(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Indra Reddy, M.I.; Sethuramalingam, P.; Sahu, R.K.; Kalidindi, K.S.For the production of lightweight, eco-friendly, and incredibly robust products, hybrid bio-epoxy composites stand out as an outstanding material choice in the manufacturing sector. This study focused on creating a composite, where in the epoxy resin infused with microcellulose fillers is reinforced by stacking four layers of basalt-jute-jute-basalt woven mats. The composite was made through the hand lay-up process, followed by the meticulous process of compression molding. The inclusion of microcellulose, sourced from the leaves of the Musa paradisiaca plant (MPPL), was a key component. The extraction of microcellulose from the MPPL involves alkali treatment, acid hydrolysis, bleaching, and slow pyrolysis. This micro cellulose was introduced to the layered composite in varying proportions (ranging from 0 % to 10 %). Subsequently, we carried out comprehensive tests in line with ASTM standards to assess the material's effectiveness with regard to thermo-mechanical properties and water absorption characteristics. The outcomes of these evaluations highlighted that the composite featuring a 5 % Musa paradisiaca plant leaf micro cellulose content within the basalt-jute-jute-basalt layers exhibited notably superior attributes in tensile strength (99.74 MPa), flexural strength (77.87 MPa), impact strength (40.27 kJ/m2), hardness (97 HRRW), and crystallinity index of 6.3 %. Furthermore, our investigation extended to the analysis of fractural morphology to understand the bonding behaviour and fracture patterns within the composite. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.Item Comprehensive Characterization of Novel Jute Fabrics with Musa Paradisiaca Leaf Agro-Waste Based Micro Cellulosic Fillers Reinforced Epoxy Composites For Lightweight Applications(Korean Fiber Society, 2025) Indra Reddy, M.I.; Sethuramalingam, P.; Sahu, R.K.For lightweight, sustainable, high-strength products, hybrid bio-epoxy composites materials were the most excellent choice for the production industry. The investigation proceeds in developing a four-stacked sequence jute-woven mats reinforced with epoxy composite and added with micro-cellulose fillers. The extraction of micro cellulose from Musa paradisiaca plant leaf (MPPL) was carried out through a series of processes, including alkali treatment, acid hydrolysis, bleaching, and slow pyrolysis. The composite was fabricated using the conventional hand lay-up method and compression molding. The microcellulose was added to the stacked composite at varying weight percentages (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%). Thermo-mechanical and water intake characterization were investigated using ASTM. The findings revealed that incorporating 5% MPPL cellulose into the jute-stacked layer sequence resulted in improved hardness (95 HRRW), tensile modulus (3407.69 MPa), tensile strength (79.74 MPa), flexural modulus (2195.752 MPa), flexural strength (56.87 MPa), and crystallinity index (72.7%). However, a reduction in impact strength (23.27 kJ/m2) was noted compared to the unfilled composite. The higher thermal degradation (480 °C) behavior of the filler-reinforced composite makes them a suitable material for applications in high-temperature environments. Fractographical morphology was also investigated to reveal the bonding behavior, voids formations, agglomeration of fillers, and fracture behavior. Thus, this distinguishable composite characterization will aid the manufacturing industries in producing high-strength biodegradable materials. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the Korean Fiber Society 2025.