Drilling of banana stem fibers and polyurethane derived from castor oil composite

Abstract

Natural fibers composites obtained from waste of agricultural processes appear as an alternative to materials from non-renewable sources. Drilling these composites is challenging due to the non-homogeneous structure and behavior of the natural fibers and the polymeric matrix. This work uses different drill types and machining parameters to investigate the drilling process in a composite with banana stem fibers and polyurethane derived from castor oil. Hole damages, thrust force, torque and chip morphology were evaluated. The best results were found using a twist drill at 19 m/min cutting speed and 0.1 mm/rev feed rate. Drill type was the main factor in generating damage in the holes, while torque and thrust force were less influential.