Waste banana plant (Musa sp.) Trunks as an Alternative source of pulp for paper making Essay

Edible Banana (Musa sp.) the plant is a gigantic herb that springs from an underground stem, or rhizome, to form a false trunk 3–6 meters (10–20 feet) high (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2006). Bananas cannot be grown anywhere because they are very sensitive to strong winds, hence, if planted on open areas, one must use windbreakers for the banana plant not to be harmed, the plant can be also planted on dry lands provided that there is a stable irrigation (Department of Agri-culture, 2010). Paper is a material made of cellulose pulp, derived mainly from wood, rags and certain grasses, processed into flexible sheets or rolls by deposit from an aqueous suspension (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008).It is the most widely used material by mankind since its discovery in China. The average dimensions of a letter sized paper is 8.27*11.69mm The aim of this study is to find out if the pulp from trunk banana is suitable for paper production. Statement of Problem General Objective This study primarily aims to find out if pulp from the banana tree trunk is a better alternative than wood pulp Specific Objectives: 1.) This study aims to find out if paper produce using banana plant trunk’s pulp is more economic than the commercially used tree trunk pulp; 2.) And to find out what is better: 100% banana plant trunk pulp of banana tree trunk pulp plus recycled paper. Hypothesis The paper made in this study will be more cost efficient than paper mass produce by companies using commercial grade wood pulp Significance of the study The paper made from the waste banana plant trunk pulp will Increase the income of the Banana farmers here in the Philippines because instead of simply discarding the Banana plant trunks after harvesting the ripe bananas, they could sell it to factories for added income Scope and Limitation of the Study This study is only limited to the use banana plant trunks and recycled paper in the creation of paper that will be produce by this study. Definition of terms Banana-a treelike tropical palm with large leaves and flower clusters that develop into a bunch of finer shaped fruit which are yellow or red when ripe(Webster’s New Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1999). Wood Pulp-a material prepared by chemical or mechanical means chiefly from wood and used in making paper and cellulose products (Webster’s New Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1999). Review of Related Literature and Review of Related Studies Banana (Musa sp.) Name for several species of the genus Musa and for the fruits these produce. The banana plant-one of the largest herbaceous plants-is said to be native in tropical Asia, but is now cultivated throughout the tropics (The Free Dictionary 2010). Wood Pulp Pulp from wood used in making cellulose derivatives (as paper or rayon) Mold and Deckle A mold is a wooden frame with wire mesh stretched on it while a deckle is just a wooden frame the same size as the mold but is has no wire mesh stretched over it. Related Studies There is a study conducted by the students of University of Cordoba and University of Pablo, Spain (2012) to characterize the banana plant residues and use it in pulping and combustion processes. Another study conducted by the North East Science and technology Institute (2008) which aims to make grease proof paper out of banana pulp fiber. Methodology Tools and Materials The waste banana plant trunk that was used in this study were taken from Brgy. Punta Tabuc, Roxas City, Capiz. The materials that were a machete,3 pcs lower banana plant trunks, a deckle, 3 pcs 10Ãâ€"7 silk screen and mesh wire screen molds, a large stainless steel pot and sodium hydroxide.