Quasi-static indentation, mechanical, and damage evolution of different configurations of laminated banana–pineapple fiber-reinforced composites for structural application

Driven by the demand for environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and lightweight materials, cellulosic fiber-reinforced composites offer a promising alternative to traditional non-renewable materials due to their biodegradability, compatibility, durability, and lower carbon emissions. This study investigated the mechanical performances and damage evaluation of cellulosic banana–pineapple fiber-reinforced polymer composites. The research focused on creating eight distinct composite samples under the influence of different stacking configurations of banana fiber and pineapple leaf fiber (BBBB, BBPP, PPBB, BPPB, PBBP, BPBP, PBBP, PPPP) through a compression molding technique. Preliminary findings suggested that the hybridization of banana with pineapple fibers not only enhanced the mechanical strength, elasticity, and rigidity of the composites but also contributed to their overall sustainability and durability, and produced lightweight materials. The results observed that the stacking of banana provided greater strength and rigidity, while pineapple fiber provided higher flexibility and stiffness. Thus, BPBP composites showed 40.17%, 60.56%, 54.88%, and 50.23% higher tensile strength, shear strength, impact strength, and energy absorption as compared with PPPP composites. The flexural strength was higher for BBPP composites, which was 72.55% higher than PPPP composites. By using hybridization to overcome the drawbacks of natural fibers, this effort opens the door for creative materials science solutions that create lightweight components with great energy absorption and environmental sustainability for applications in a variety of sectors, including construction, automotive, and aerospace.