Growing environmental concerns have heightened interest in the development of environmentally friendly materials. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the mechanical and thermal properties of thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS) are affected by the presence of banana leaf fibre (BLF). By incorporating between 10% and 80% by weight of banana leaf fibre into the TPCS matrix, the biocomposites were created. The thermal and mechanical parameters of the samples were determined. The results revealed that the material’s flexural and tensile characteristics improved significantly, with 50% BLF content in the matrix achieving the highest strength of 20.86 MPa, a flexural strength of 32 MPa, and tensile modulus values. Thermogravimetric examination observed that the addition of BLF improved the material’s thermal stability. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) morphological tests demonstrated an even spread of banana leaf fibre and a matrix with strong adhesion, which improved the mechanical properties of the biocomposites. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) testing, which confirmed the biocomposite presence of O-H bonds, also confirmed the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between TPCS and banana leaf fibre.

This paper investigates the influence of the type and amount of recycled metallic waste on the physical and mechanical properties of cement-based mortars. The physical and mechanical properties of cement mortars, containing four different amounts of metallic waste (ranged 4 to 16% by cement weight), were evaluated by measuring the bulk density, total porosity, flexural and compressive resistance, and dynamic elastic modulus by ultrasonic tests. All the properties were measured on test specimens under two curing ages: 7 and 28 days. Additionally, the morphological properties and elemental composition of the cement and metallic waste were evaluated by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Main results showed that the addition of metallic waste reduced the bulk density and increased the porosity of the cement-based mortars. Furthermore, it was observed that flexural and compressive strength proportionally increased with the metallic waste addition. Likewise, it was proven that elastic modulus, obtained by compressive and ultrasonic tests, increases with the metallic waste amount. Finally, based on a probability analysis, it was confirmed that the addition of metallic waste did not present a significant effect on the mechanical performance of the cement-based mortars.