Isolation of biosilica from biomass waste Setaria italica husks and its reinforcement effect on banana fiber-epoxy composite

This research focuses on the isolation of biosilica from Setaria italica (foxtail millet) husks and its impact on banana fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The main objective of this research was to study the impact of adding biosilica from biomass source to a natural fiber-based composite on load-bearing properties. The extracted biosilica was characterized for its crystal structure and morphology. The hand layup method was used to fabricate the composites and characterized as per the standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). According to the results, the BB3 composite showed a tensile strength of 131 MPa, flexural strength of 229 MPa, compressive strength of 184 MPa, and impact energy of 4.55 J. Furthermore, wear and flame retardancy of the composites revealed that the BB3 composite exhibits low Sp. wear rate of 0.0011 mm 3 /Nm and coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.31. Similarly, lesser flame propagation speed of 7.4 mm/min is observed for composite BB3. Moreover, the BB3 composite also demonstrated lesser water absorption of 0.32%. This indicated that the addition of biosilica improved the notable properties of composites. These findings open up the possibility of developing environmentally friendly composites for various applications, including construction, automotive, and drone industries, contributing to a more sustainable and eco-conscious future.