SBF 3032

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

MINI PROJECT PROPOSAL

TITLE: HANDMADE PAPER FROM WASTE BANANA FIBRE

PREPARED BY :
BIL NAME MATRIC NUMBER

1. LOH CHAIN HUI D20172078124

2. NUR FAREHAH BINTI ZAIDI D20171078129

3. EASTER GILLIAN ANAK NELSON D20171078139

4. RONALD DECK YAMI D20171078135

GROUP :B
LECTURER : PROFESOR MADYA DR. HASIMAH BINTI ALIMON
Title: Handmade paper from waste banana fibre

Objectives:

1. To produce eco-friendly and quality paper for daily uses.

2. To produce rapidly renewable and sustainable paper.
3. To produce biodegradable paper.

Research questions:

1. Can the waste banana fibre be converted into paper?

2. How can we make paper from the waste banana fibre?
3. Are the qualities of the paper that made of waste banana fibre same as the regular
paper?
4. What is the advantage of using the handmade papers made from waste banana fibre
than regular paper?

Hypothesis:

The quality and uses of handmade paper from sugar cane bagasse are better from the
regular paper.

Introduction:

Today banana stem is used as a source of raw material for preparation of a paper pulp. This
pulp is used to prepare different types of paper such as tissue, bloating, tracing and writing
printing paper. Banana stems are easily available and cultivates in large scale. After
harvesting, the farmer cuts the banana trees and throws away enormous amount of these
stems into the fields because after harvesting the fruit, there is no significant use of banana
trees. Constructing a tissue paper through the banana stem will be good for farmers
because after harvesting the fruit there is no use of this but using the banana stem for the
production of tissue paper will help the farmers get some money and will increase their
interest in culminating banana crops. On this basis, banana stem acts as a very suitable
alternative raw material, containing very good percentage of cellulose. Cellulose is the
main Raw Material for tissue paper and the stem part of banana trees contain the highest
percentage of cellulose. In production of a tissue paper through the banana stem, kraft pulp
process is preferred. It is the oldest and very famous process to prepare a pulp. When
initially paper was manufactured through the kraft process, the paper obtained was much
stronger than any paper previously manufactured. Among the latest developments in paper
industry for production of tissue paper, banana stem acts as a superior material and it
provides easily manufacturable & good strength tissue paper. As a point of
economy, the banana stem raw material is cheaper than wood and more environmentally
friendly than massive logging for vast growing paper industry around the world.

Significances:

1. Save the trees.

There are a lot of significances in producing of paper from banana stem which are
the bio-waste. We know that world paper and paperboard demand increasing
rapidly. So, by using the bio-waste to make a paper, we can reduce the uses of tree.
About 27,000 trees daily are used to make a toilet paper globally. Banana stem
alternative can replace trees for pulp production and help to save trees and
endangered forest.

2. Banana stem are biodegradable and compostable.

Banana stem fibres are quickly dissolves back into the soil so that it is safe for all
disposal system.

3. Reduce air pollution

One way to get rid of banana stem fibre after processing it is to burn it. However,
this will increase the air pollution and increases greenhouse gas emissions. Rather
than burning it, the fibre can be directed to be processed into paper.
Materials:

 Waste banana fibre

 Sodium hydroxide
 Sodium sulphide
 Calcium carbonate
 Starch
 Tray
 Blender
 Deckle
 Cloth

Methods and procedure:

1. Preparation of bagasse

Strip outer layer from each layer of banana trunk. Slice thinly near the surface. Dry those
fibres under the sun or in the oven. After dried, cut them into about half or quarter inches
pieces to increase the surface area

2. Pulping process

Cook the bagasse for approximately 1 1/2 hours by adding sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and
sodium sulphide. Then, wash it with hot water and tap water repeatedly. Rinse cooked
fibers carefully to remove NaOH content.

3. Blending process

Mix the fibers about a handful of them with about 600 ml of water into a blender. Blend
them a minute or less until they become pulp.

5. Sheet formation

Pour pulp through a fine mesh or coffee filter and filter for rinsing. Repeat from step 3
until it separates and pour in mold and deckle.

6. Drying

Put the sheets under the sun until it completely dry.

Analysis :

Quantitative Analysis

1.Time consumption

A complete sheet of paper can be produced within 2-3 days. Although the procedure is
time consuming, a large amount of products can be produced simultaneously.

2.Cost

The expenses for the research is low and affordable. The sugarcane bagasse is an eco-
friendly and renewable raw material as it is the by-product from sugar industry which is
usually disposed as waste.

Qualitative Analysis

Testing of paper quality:

1.Grammage test

The mass per area of the paper is measured as gsm (grams per square meter). Paper sheets
are cut to a size of 10 cm x 10 cm, then the sheets are massed individually. The mean of
the masses is used to calculate the mass of the paper per square meter, and the standard
deviation is determined from all samples.

2.Water absorbency Test

Klemm method

Test pieces are immersed to a set depth in water and the height of the water rise is measure
after a set time.