Mechanical and Thermal Performances of Banana Fiber–Reinforced Gypsum Composites

This study investigates the use of alkali‐treated banana fibers at different weight percentages (0%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 16%, and 24%) as natural reinforcement in gypsum, aiming to assess their effects on the physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological characteristics, as well as functional groups of composites. It is found that the density of banana fiber–reinforced gypsum composites (BFRGCs) decreases with increasing banana fiber content, reaching a minimum of 0.83 gm/cm 3 at 24 wt.% fiber loading, while water absorption peaks at 98% for the same fiber loading due to the hydrophilic nature of banana fibers. Among the composites, the gypsum composite reinforced with 16 wt.% banana fiber exhibits superior mechanical characteristics, with a significantly higher tensile modulus (4.57 MPa) and flexural…