Enhancing Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Jute-Banana-Phenol Formaldehyde Hybrid Composites Using Bio Waste Fillers: Experimental Study and ANN Prediction

The present work was based on the study that was interested in the effect of bio waste as fillers (wood dust, rice husk and powdered coconut shell) on the thermal and mechanical characteristics of jute-banana-phenol formaldehyde (JB-PF) hybrid composites. Samples were prepared by hot pressed and investigated impact strength, flexural strength, interlamination shear strength (ILSS), and tensile strength. Thermal stability was assessed using TGA and DSC, while SEM examined fracture morphologies. Among the fillers, coconut shell powder (JBC) demonstrated the maximum impact strength (121.78 J/m), flexural strength (95.85 MPa), tensile strength (66.24 MPa), and ILSS (4.96 MPa), attributed to its hardness and rough surface that enhanced interfacial bonding. Rice husk powder (JBR) provided notable reinforcement due to its silica-rich rigidity, whereas wood dust (JBW) yielded moderate gains. TGA and DSC verified enhanced thermal stability, and SEM confirmed stronger interfacial bonding, especially in JBC composites. Additionally, a model for an artificial neural network (ANN) had been developed to forecast its mechanical characteristics from fiber composition, achieving accuracies of 79.53% (tensile), 80.44% (flexural), and 85.40% (impact). Coconut shell powder proved the most effective filler, highlighting the potential of these composites as sustainable alternatives to automotive plastics.