Review of related literature

According to the Department of Agriculture(DA), banana fiber can be used as a raw material in
the handmade paper industry in a cost-effective and competitive manner. Banana fibers are said to have a
number of beneficial physical and chemical qualities that encourage their usage in textile applications.
The addition of enzymes improves the tensile energy, extensibility, and surface properties of the cotton-
banana union fabric. A thorough investigation of the suability of cotton-banana blended fabrics revealed
that they have greater seam pucker but higher bending rigidity than 100% cotton fabrics. Banana fibers
can be used to make a variety of products such as bags, baskets, wall hangings, floor mats, and home
furnishings. The mechanically extracted fiber is of outstanding quality and is widely employed in the
production of high-grade products. Papers with a unique look and feel, as well as decorative papers. In
several places in the Philippines, banana fiber is used to make socks. The tenacity of 33 banana cultivars
growing in the Philippines was reported to range between 22.4 and 44.8 g/tex. In tensile testing, single
fiber elongation is found to be greater than hybrid composite elongation. As a result, in the tensile testing
composite, a single composite may sustain higher strain before failing. The fiber was retrieved by hand
stripping with a stripping apparatus that applied minimal pressure to prevent the hybrid fiber from
breaking. In the Philippines, banana fibers have been used to make a variety of items. Banana fibers can
be used to make paper and other materials. Banana fibers can be used as a natural absorbent, bio bacteria
in natural water purifiers, and mushroom production. They can also be used to make handicrafts, high-
quality paper cards, tea bags, string thread, high-quality fabric material, currency notes, and good rope for
tying. Banana fibers have been described as lovely and adaptable.

Review of related studies

According to Taiwo K. Fagbemigun, O.D. Fagbemi, O. Otitoju, E. Mgbachiuzor, C.C. Igwe et al.
entitled “Pulp and paper-making potential of corn husk”. The present study assessed the pulp and paper
making potential inherent in corn husks. Fibremorphology of the material confirmed that it consists of
short fibers similar to hardwoods. Chemical characterization of the sample also shows it is aligno-
cellulosic material with average lignin content, less than 20%, similar to several non-wood plants which
help in reducing the amount of chemical and energy needed for pulping. Other dimensional indices, i.e.
runkel ratio, flexibility coefficient, slenderness ratio and wall rigidity gave a good insight into the
qualities of the individual fibers present in the material. Tensile strength of paper sheet produced from the
pulp of corn husk shows that the materials could be considered as an alternative raw material for
papermaking applications. Despite the fact that this study presented relatively poor flexibility and runkel
ratios, pulp produced from corn husk can be mixed with softwood, hardwood or recycled paper pulps to
produce paper with increased printability, tearing strength and mechanical strength.