Analysis of the Potential of Various Agro-industrial Wastes: Banana Bark

(Musa acuminata), Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), and Pineapple Leaves

(Ananas comosus) as Raw Materials for Paper Production
Using Soda Ash Base

ABSTRACT

Paper was derived from different agro-industrial wastes such as banana bark, cogon grass,
and pineapple leaves. Qualitative properties of the derived paper sheets from the three sources
were determined to assess which among them has the most potential for paper production. The
paper derived from cogon grass has foul odor. It has the darkest color and its texture is rough with
visible fibers. Also, one cannot legibly write on the paper’s surface. These paper characteristics
are undesirable for use. On the other hand, the paper derived from banana bark was too brittle and
easy to crumple. This also causes difficulty in writing on its surface. The paper’s brittleness also
means it has no potential to be used as paper packaging. Lastly, the paper from pineapple leaves
was smooth, odorless, not as brittle as compared to the paper derived from banana bark, and
exhibited clear writings on its surface. Results showed that the paper sheet produced from
pineapple leaves exhibited the most desirable set of properties among the three.

INTRODUCTION

Pulp and paper industry is one of the largest industries worldwide. The demand for paper
consumption continues to increase due to its wide application. Its application includes needs on
activities such as writing, reading, printing, art, among others. Paper making needs cellulose source
such as plants and wood, base, and water. Simple paper making process involves three simple steps
namely pulping, flatting, and finishing. Pulping involves both physical and chemical processes.
Physical process reduces the size of the resource material. Chemical process involves the base
_________________________
1
An investigatory project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement in Science 6 under
the supervision of Teacher Althea Gabriel, SY 2019-2020.
which releases the cellulose from the resource material. Flatting transforms the pulp to flat wet
sheets. Finishing removes the water content from the sheet and initiates the bonding of fibrils from
cellulose for a stronger structure (Neclaw et al. 2011).
Increasing demand for paper also requires more resources for its production. However, the
resources provided by nature are limited. Due to the depletion of the requirements for production,
the pulp and paper industry faces shortage. The pulp and paper industry is also significantly
contributes to the pollution of the environment. The industry consumes large amount of water,
energy, and wood raw materials. It also requires high logging activity which contributes to
deforestation (Beckline et al., 2016).
To solve this problem, aside from improving the paper making process, researches also
aim to find alternative raw materials for paper making. A good alternative raw material for paper
production contains cellulose, native to the area where the paper is being produced, and
biodegradable. Candidates for the alternative are low-value agro-industrial wastes. These wastes
are zero cost or cheap. Since these are plant parts, they also contain cellulose needed for paper
making. Using these materials also reduces the volume of wastes to be dumped in the environment.
Philippines, as an agriculture-dependent country, can offer different agro-industrial wastes
for paper production. In this study; cogon grass, banana barks, and pineapple leaves were selected
as potential raw materials for paper production.
The general objective of the study is to assess the potential of three low-value agro-based
wastes namely pineapple leaves, cogon grass, and banana barks as source material for paper
production. More specifically, it aims to produce sample paper sheets from the materials and
characterize the papers in terms of texture, color, odor, brittleness, and ability to be written on.
 Review of Related Literature

History and Uses of Paper

Paper has become the most widely used writing material. The word “paper” is derived from
papyrus plant (Cypyrus papyrus L.) which was a source of writing material of ancient Egypt. Its
surface recorded wide information about ancient Egypt. Papyrus manuscripts are scattered in
Egypt’s libraries, monasteries, private collections, and museums (Waly, 2001).
Paper making is a large industry due to its wide use, increasing demand, and rising
consumption. Paper is used for reading materials such as magazines, books, and encyclopedias. It
is also used for the field of art such as canvas and drawing books. Paper’s absorbency also causes
its demand to be used for clothes and tissues that are used for soaking up liquids. Although paper
is traditionally associated as a need for writing and needing, packaging currently accounts for more
than 41% of all global paper use (Beckline et al., 2016).

Method of Paper Production

Conventional paper production uses wood pulps, bases, bleach, and other additives. The
general method for simple paper production involves three steps namely; pulping, flatting, and
finishing. Pulping aims to reduce the size of the raw material and release the cellulose from it. Size
reduction may be performed manually through methods such as cutting, grinding, and slicing. For
industrial paper making, size reduction is performed using automated machines such as grinders
and millers. Pulping also involves a chemical process where base such as caustic soda or soda ash
is added. This dissolves the lignocellulose from the raw material releasing the desired cellulose.
Flatting is a simple physical process where the pulps are transformed into flat sheets. Lastly,
finishing involves the drying or complete removal of water from the sheet. This process also
chemically bonds the fibrils from the cellulose to produce the structure of paper. Additives may
be used to improve the properties of the paper product depending on the desired specifications
(Beckline et al., 2016).
Environmental and Economic Effect of Conventional Paper Production

The usage of paper products has risen from 92 million tons to 208 million tons for the last
20 years. This shows a growth of 126%. Also, the consumption of paper worldwide has increased
by 400% in the last 40 years. Paper manufacture consumed 35% of harvested trees and 40% of the
world’s industrial logging is utilized for paper production. Another 10% increase in logging is also
expected in the coming years.
Currently, the paper and board industry experiences shortage in raw materials.
Conventional paper production uses wood as source but due to the increasing demand on paper
products, lack on raw materials is experienced. Negative environmental impacts are also attributed
to increasing logging needs for paper production. Projections about the rising demand for paper
production also show the possibility of more adverse environmental effects. The increasing
occurrence of logging may also be attributed to the increasing demand for paper products. Paper
production is one of the largest consumers of energy, freshwater, and forest fibers. Pulp and paper
industry is also considered as one of major polluting industries in the world (Sarma, 2014).
Innovations regarding paper production are continuously being researched by scientists and
engineers. Another focus of paper production-related research is the exploration of the potential of
non-wood sources as substitute for the more expensive wood fibers as resource material. Wide
range of agro-industrial wastes have some potential for paper making process. These agro-
industrial wastes should be of natural origin and biodegradable (Neclaw et al. 2011).
The use of these substances for paper production may significantly reduce the use of wood
material. Consequently, high-value paper products will be derived from low-value agro-industrial
wastes. These resources are free and more economical. Their use for paper production will also
reduce the volume of agro-industrial wastes, helping the environment as well.
Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to determine which among the agro-industrial wastes
has the most potential to be used as source material for paper production. More specifically:

1. To produce paper sheets from banana bark, cogon grass, and pineapple leaves using soda
ash as base,
2. To compare the parameters (color, texture, brittleness, and visibility of fibers) of the
produced paper sheets, and
3. To test the clarity of writings on the surface of the produced papers using different writing
tools.

Statement of the Problem

1. Which among cogon grass, banana bark, and pineapple leaves can be used for production
of paper?
2. Which among the three agro-industrial waste can produce the paper sheet with the most
desirable properties for consumption in terms of color, texture, brittleness, and visibility of
fiber?
3. Which among the papers derived from the three agro-industrial wastes can be easily written
on and exhibit clear and visible writing?

Hypothesis

If cogon grass, banana bark, and pineapple leaves are all cellulose containing plant parts.,
then all of the three agro-industrial wastes can be used as raw material for paper production. Since
the three raw materials have different properties, paper derived from them will exhibit various
properties as well.
Significance of the Study

The study determined which among the three agro-industrial wastes can produce paper.
The study also determined which among the paper products is the most commercially viable by
determining parameters such as odor, texture, brittleness, and presence of fiber. The results of the
study can be used by future researches to further analyze the potential of these raw materials for
paper production. This study can also serve as basis for the improvement of the paper making
process involving agro-industrial wastes.

Scope and Limitation

The study limits the raw material to only three agro-industrial wastes namely cogon grass,
banana barks, and pineapple leaves. Other agro-industrial wastes may be used in future research.
The study employed qualitative analysis to assess parameters like odor, color, presence of fiber,
and brittleness. No quantitative analysis was employed by the researcher. Other parameters and
the use of quantitative analytical techniques may be done on future studies.
 Materials and Methods

First, the raw materials were cut to half inch pieces using a pair of scissors as shown in
Figure 1.

Figure 1. Half-inch banana bark pieces.

Each set of cut pieces were boiled with soda ash for one hour as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Cogon grass with soda ash in boiling distilled water.

 The boiled raw materials were rinsed with distilled water to remove the soda ash. Then,
they were blended with 750mL water using a blender (see Fig. 3).

Figure 3. Blender for boiled raw material.

The product was drained in a silk screen and was left to air-dry to produce the paper sheet
(See Fig. 4).

Figure 4. Paper sheet derived from banana bark.

 Results and Discussion

The experiment aimed to produce natural hand-made paper from various agro-industrial
wastes such as cogon grass, banana bark, and pineapple leaves. Figure 5 below shows the final
paper products from the different sources.

BANANA BARK COGON GRASS PINEAPPLE LEAVES

Figure 5. Paper sheet from various agro-industrial wastes.

Figure 5 shows that paper sheets derived from pineapple leaves and banana bark have
smooth surfaces. The visibility of fibers on the product from both sources are also minimal.
Pineapple leaves produce manila-paper like sheet. On the other hand, the fibers are obvious in the
paper sheet produced by the cogon grass resulting to a rough texture. In terms of color, cogon grass
produced the darkest colored sheet and the pineapple leaves produced the lightest colored sheet.
Although both banana bark and pineapple leaves produced smooth sheet with minimum presence
of fiber, banana bark produced a darker colored sheet which affects the capability of the paper
sheet to be written on. Therefore, based on appearance and texture, pineapple leaves produced the
paper sheet with the most potential.
The study also determined the commercial viability of papers produced from different
agro-based raw materials by measuring various parameters as shown in Table 1 and Table 2.
Table 1. Odor, brittleness, and texture of papers produced from agro-based raw materials.
SOURCE ODOR BRITTLENESS TEXTURE
Cogon grass Foul Hard Rough
Pineapple leaves Odorless Slightly Brittle Smooth
Banana bark Sweet Very Brittle Smooth

Table 1 shows that cogon grass is impractical to be selected as a paper source due to the
foul odor its paper product possesses. Paper produced from banana bark will also be difficult to be
used as containers because it is brittle and easy to tear. Pineapple leaves has the most potential to
be a good source of paper since its product is odorless, smooth, and not as brittle as banana bark’s
paper. These characteristics are desirable for paper bag making and also for papers for surface
writing.
The capability of the derived paper products as writing media was also determined. Several
writing materials such as ball pen, pencil, gelpen, and marker were used to write on the surface of
the papers. Figure 6 shows the clarity of the writings while Table 2 summarizes the result of the
experiment.

BANANA BARK COGON GRASS PINEAPPLE LEAVES

Figure 6. Writings on the surface of various papers.

Table 2. Capability of papers’ surface as writing media.
WRITING TOOL
SOURCE
BALLPEN MARKER GELPEN PENCIL
Cogon grass Not Clear Clear Not Clear Not Clear
Pineapple leaves Clear Clear Clear Clear
Banana bark Clear Clear Clear Clear

From the results shown in Table 2, writings on the cogon grass paper was not clear except
when marker was used. Due to the rough surface, it was also difficult to write legibly on its surface.
On the other hand, writings for both pineapple leaves and banana bark can be seen clearly.
However, the paper derived from banana bark has the tendency to absorb the ink. This may lead
to the decrease on the clarity of writings on its surface after sometime. Also, the paper derived
from banana bark crumples easily also resulting to difficulty in writing legibly on its surface. Based
from the results, pineapple leaves are also the best source of papers for writing.
 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

All three agro-industrial wastes (cogon grass, banana bark, and pineapple leaves) were able
to produce paper sheets due to their cellulose contents. Analysis of the color, odor, visibility of
fibers, and brittleness were studied. The results showed that paper derived from cogon grass is the
least brittle. However, results also imply that the sheet produced is commercially unviable due to
its roughness, undesirable odor, and very dark color. The visibility of fiber and difficulty in writing
on its surface are also clear indications of low-quality paper product. On the other hand, paper
derived from banana barks has minimal presence of fibers, smooth surface, and sweet odor.
However, it is very brittle and easy to crumple. This makes writing on its surface difficult as well.
Among the three, the paper derived from pineapple leaves has the most potential for commercial
use. It is not as brittle as the paper derived from banana barks. It has smooth surface, minimal
presence of fibers, no odor, and the lightest color among the three. This set of characteristics is the
most desirable among the results and an indication of the high potential of pineapple leaves as
source material for paper production.
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