Thermal, Functional Group and Microstructural Analysis of Fibrillated Composites Developed from Polystyrene and Plantain Stalk Wastes

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the thermal, functional group and microstructural properties developed from polystyrene (as a matrix) and plantain stalk waste (as reinforcing material). The composite was developed by manual-mixing and hand-layup and cured at 25°C±2°C for 7 days. The composites were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The maximum amount of heat flow for plainly cured polystyrene resin was 3.25 mW, and the maximum for the composites was 7.9 mW at 30 % plantain filler. Optimum specific heat capacity of the composite was achieved at 40 % filler loading. The peak specific capacity at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 min at optimum filler loading (40 %) were 154, 308, 462, 616, and 770 J/Kg°C, respectively. FTIR analysis revealed that chemical interaction between the polymer resin and the biomass filler was confirmed. The microstructural analysis confirmed the poor interfacial bonding between the filler and resin. The composite shows good potential for use in mild to moderate temperature applications (25°C–125°C). Besides the advantage of materials development, this study has also been able to proffer a solution in biomass valorization and solid waste management.