Engineering students have once again showcased innovation by utilizing banana fibre to create tiles, each part of the banana plant being harnessed for its unique benefits. These eco-friendly tiles, fortified with resin coating, exhibit remarkable strength, outperforming traditional ceramic tiles by nearly sevenfold.
Unveiling Unprecedented Strength
While conventional ceramic tiles withstand pressures up to 1,300 newtons, these banana fibre tiles demonstrate an impressive resilience, withstanding up to 7,500 newtons. Flexural tests reveal a robustness registering at 52.37% megapascals, highlighting their exceptional weight-bearing capacity.
Harnessing Nature’s Strength
Amit Kumar, one of the visionary students from MVJ College of Engineering, elucidated the rationale behind employing banana fibre, renowned for its high tensile strength. Through a meticulous process, a composite material is crafted by integrating hardeners and chemical solutions like calcium carbonate and sodium hydroxide. This infusion bolsters the tile’s resistance, tensile strength, and thickness.
Crafting the Tiles: Precision and Technique
The construction of these innovative tiles involves stacking up to seven sheets, strategically positioned at varying angles for optimal tight packing. Subsequent vacuum sealing precedes the application of resin coating, ensuring waterproof durability.
The Intricate Process
Initiating with soaking banana fibre in a sodium hydroxide solution, followed by hardener application, the process incorporates calcium carbonate in different proportions to enhance tile hardness. Rigorous water resistance tests guarantee the tiles’ impermeability post-resin coating.
From Concept to Completion
Amit Kumar, along with fellow final-year Mechanical Engineering students Karthik, Parasanna, and Pruthviraja, spearheaded this groundbreaking project. They revealed that the comprehensive process—from material selection to mechanical property testing—typically spans two months.
Future Endeavors
While these innovative tiles showcase immense promise, further tests and refinements are imperative before they can be commercially available. This pioneering endeavor not only underscores the potential of sustainable materials but also exemplifies the spirit of ingenuity driving engineering innovations.
