Accepted Manuscript

Title: Production of wrapping paper from banana fibres

Authors: Amit Ramdhonee, Pratima Jeetah

PII: S2213-3437(17)30395-0
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.jece.2017.08.011
Reference: JECE 1806

To appear in:

Received date: 21-6-2017

Revised date: 7-8-2017
Accepted date: 8-8-2017

Please cite this article as: Amit Ramdhonee, Pratima Jeetah, Production
of wrapping paper from banana fibres, Journal of Environmental Chemical
Engineeringhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2017.08.011

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 PRODUCTION OF WRAPPING PAPER FROM BANANA FIBRES

AMIT RAMDHONEE1 AND PRATIMA JEETAH*2

1,2
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit,
Mauritius
*
 CORRESPONDING AUTHOR :*P.JEETAH@ UOM .AC.MU,  TEL: +230 4037891, F AX: +230  4647144   
 

Highlights 

 The banana fibers were chemically extracted according to the Kraft Process  
 For comparative evaluation, along with banana fibres, bagasse and paper were used  
 Banana pseudo stem contained 12.1 % lignin, 9.5 % ash with Kappa number of 72.3 
 The tensile index of wrapping paper from banana fibres and wastepaper was 29.4Nm/g  
 The average bursting index of wrapping paper from banana fibres was 2.0 kPa.m2/g 

ABSTRACT
The widespread availability of banana pseudo stems which do not have considerable commercial
value in the country presents a potential source of non-wood raw material for paper production.
This investigation determined the suitability of using banana fiber for wrapping paper production.
Banana fiber was used with sugarcane bagasse and wastepaper to produce paper in 20:80, 40:60,
60:40 and 80:20 ratios. Banana and sugarcane bagasse were chemically pulped using 12% NaOH
and 4% Na2S for 1.5 hours. The mean thickness of the papers were 0.263 ±0.04 mm. 100% banana
paper and 100% bagasse paper showed nearly similar water absorbency (2.15 s and 2.17 s) and
were 2.25 times more than paper from 100% wastepaper. Highest tensile index was evidenced by
banana paper with 20% wastepaper (29.4 Nm/g). For banana-bagasse mix-ratios, 20% bagasse
demonstrated highest tensile index (16.04 Nm/g). 100% banana paper produced a tensile index of
18.97 Nm/g. Highest bursting index was from banana paper with 20% wastepaper mix (2.00
kPa.m2/g). For banana-bagasse mix-ratios, 20% bagasse addition showed the greatest bursting
index (0.88 kPa.m2/g). 100% banana paper produced a burst index of 1.05 kPa.m2/g. Highest
abrasion resistance was 180 turns which was demonstrated by 100% banana paper. 20% mix
bagasse and 20% mix wastepaper demonstrated the greatest abrasion resistance with 136 turns and
120 turns respectively. 20 ̶ 40% of wastepaper (5.4 ̶ 5.8% weight loss) and 10 ̶ 30% bagasse (10.0 ̶
15.5% weight loss) were categorized as optimal mix percentages in the pulp mix for their minimal
weight losses.

Keywords: Banana fibre; wrapping paper; tensile index; bursting index; abrasion resistance;
sugarcane bagasse-waste paper mix

INTRODUCTION

1 
 
Traditionally paper is made from wood which is dependent on forest resources. As a result, huge
areas of rainforest are destroyed each year to meet the supply of wood fiber. Paper is produced by
recycled or virgin fibers of cellulose and its physicochemical properties rest on the fibrous
composition of the material used (Bajpai, 2012). Paper can be prepared from practically any type
of fiber, ranging from old jeans to grass clippings (Hayes, ca.2000). It is customarily used for
writing, drawing, for printing on or as wrapping material. Garber (2012) stated that tons of paper
are produced intentionally for packaging or wrapping. Millions of trees are fell daily since the use
of forest sourced fiber has increased considerably recently (Muraleedharan and Perumal, 2010).
The contentious debate over logging and opting for non-tree fiber rest controversial. In sight of the
shortage of conventional supplies for pulp production, non-wood plants and agricultural residues
appealed renewed interest (Ververis et al., 2003). Moreover, environmental worries have increased
the necessity for using non-wood pulp as a low-cost raw material for papermaking (Mahale and
Goswami-Giri, 2015). Researches have showed that paper production cost from non-wood fiber is
significantly lower that wood fiber (Hussain and Tarar, 2014). Current non-tree fibers come from
agricultural residues (fruit seeds, peels, leaves), natural growing plants (banana, bamboo) and non-
wood crop residues (cotton stalks, rice straw, cereal straw) (Mahale and Goswami-Giri, 2015).
Wood can be rather termed as newcomer since non-wood fiber utilisation started virtually 2000
years ago and Ts’ai Lun from China created the very first paper produced from true hemp (Chandra
et al., 1998). In theory, almost any vascular plant can be used as a source of cellulosic fibers to
produce paper, but, both availability and production costs limit their exploitation (Rymsza, 2004;
Mercier et al., 2002). Nonetheless, further studies must be undertaken before exploring their full
potential (Hayes, ca.2000). Developing countries are shifting towards non-wood fiber sources and
to alternate pulping technologies that are environmentally benign (Mahale and Goswami-Giri,
2015). This paper provides particular attentions on the suitability of banana fiber as an eco-friendly
raw material for making wrapping paper with a potential to offset plastic wrapping materials.

The botanical names of banana plants are Musa Paradisiaca, Musa Sapientum, Musa Cavendishii
and Musa Chinensis. (Sharma. 2013). Sharma (2013) also reported that nearly every single part of
the banana plant can produce fibres of various strength, colour, beauty and of discrete length which
can be used for numerous activities. It has been stated that course and strong fibres are located on
the outer part of the leaf sheaths while fine and silky fibres are available in the innermost part of
the leaf. The main part of the plant that starts from the roots to the point of its emergence from the
covering of the false stem is composed of an exceptionally fine fibres which are white in color.
The fruit stems contain fibres of a rough quality while the midribs of the leaves can produce a fibre
of remarkable strength and durability if they are correctly processed.

Banana cultivation and trade have proven to be sustainable from the social, economic and
ecological perspectives (FAO, 2016). In Mauritius, around 500 to 540 hectares of land are used
for banana cultivation which annually yield 10 500 to 12 000 tons of bananas. Thus, the resulting
abundant agricultural remains can serve as an excellent substitute to virgin wood fiber as an
industrial feedstock. Their usage will yield economic and environmental bonuses. The sustainable
production of banana paper shall contribute to reduce the stress on natural forest resources (Mahale
and Goswami-Giri, 2015) natural fiber in Mauritius. Bananas are the most traded fruit worldwide
primarily from developing to industrialised countries (FAO, 2015). Interestingly, the banana plant
is not a tree, but in fact, a high herb that grows 2-8m long with leaves of 3.5m in length (Anhwange
et al., 2009; Brindha et al., 2012). Banana plants exists in different varieties differing in the size,
colour and taste of banana they produce (Kumar et al., 2013). In addition to the ample nutrient-

2 
 
rich bananas, the banana plant also provides us with various polymers such as cellulose,
hemicellulose, pectin and lignin which offer fibers with strong mechanical properties (Manilal and
Sony, 2011).

FIBER UTILISATION FOR PAPER MANUFACTURING

Pulp and paper (P&P) manufacturing is the earliest non-food industrial consumption of plant
biomass (Gonzalez et al., 2010). The worldwide consumption from paper-making was estimated
to increase from 316 million tons in 1999 and 351 million tons in 2005 to nearly 425 million tons
in 2010 (Mahale and Goswami-Giri, 2015). Presently, there is a remarkable growing interest for
non-woody fibers as replacement for woody fibers in the pulp mills (Gonzalez et al., 2010). The
exploitation of non-wood fiber will be prolonged if we stress on their strong points with reference
to their influence on the environment (Hara, ca.1998). This is exactly what this paper is putting
forward. The dwindling forest resources for fiber has enhanced prominence on non-wood
resources and agricultural residues (Li et al., 2010). In the last few years, the Paper Producing
Industry (PPI) has been experiencing virgin fiber shortages and this consequence have shifted their
attention towards non-wood fibers. Non-wood raw materials account for less than 10% in the
worldwide demand for pulp and paper production in the following ratios: 44% straw, 18% bagasse,
14% reeds, 13% bamboo and 11% others (Mahale and Goswami-Giri, 2015). Agricultural residues
have uses which extend beyond paper making solely, such as to create construction material,
agricultural mulch and biofuel production (Hayes, 2000).

In the banana fields, the pseudo stems and other unused parts are felled and discarded since the
banana plant can only be harvested once and the stem often experience fungi attack (Hussain and
Tarar, 2014). Clearing the left-overs to plant new crops is a costly procedure for planters (Baldwin,
2016). Usually, the banana plant residues are left on the field to degrade into organic matter since
the banana plant cannot provide with fruits more than once (Li et al., 2010). The degradation of
this large waste biomass contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission (CO2) (Hussain and Tarar,
2014). Isolated plant residues often becomes a breeding place for disease vectors (e.g. fruit flies
and mosquitoes), which enhances pests proliferation (e.g. rats, snails) and produces bad aesthetic.
Banana plant is a fast growing perennial plant which can be studied for their suitability for P&P
manufacturing (Gonzalez et al., 2010). Almost any part of the left-over from the processing of the
banana plant is suitable for paper production. Therefore, the useful utilisation of this wasted
biomass will influence the social, environmental, geographic and technological aspects of the
country in some way.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BANANA FIBRES

The banana pseudo stem is found to be capable of being used as a raw material as it is fast growing
and yields high biomass (Brindha et al., 2012). From this viewpoint, the banana stem which
contains satisfactory cellulose content can be processed into paper (Hussain and Tarar, 2014).
Since there is large scale availability of banana resultant wastes in the country and insufficiency
of raw materials for pulp production, it is a wise conception to implement cleaner production

3 
 
techniques for banana paper making (Hussain and Tarar, 2014). This concept can also provide a
sustainable economy for Mauritius.
The banana plant grows easily in hot climates and tropical parts of the world (Preethi and
Balakrishna, 2013). The main physiological functions of the pseudo-stem are to provide support
to the plant, transport water and minerals and store food as reserves. Bananas come in two broad
types: the table banana and the plantain (cooked) which belong to the Musaceae family (Rieger,
2007). There are about 1000 varieties which are produced in 135 countries across the tropics and
subtropics and the most common is the Cavendish banana (Chandran, 2016). In some part of the
world the banana stem is consumed as food, the flower to make curry or salad and the banana
leaves to wrap food or for religious purposes (Bikalemesa, 2014). Banana cultivation is prominent
amongst the varied tropical fruits in Mauritius by acreage. It has a high production volume and
receives a wide acceptance by customers. The banana plant has a cycle of ten months to bear fruit
after which the remaining components of the plant is discarded as an agricultural waste (Preethi
and Balakrishna, 2013).

BANANA FIBER

Figure 1: Banana fiber. Source: (Ebisike et al., 2013)

The banana plant does not only provide with the banana fruit but also offers banana fiber. All
varieties of banana are known to offer fiber abundantly. Banana fiber is characterized as bast fiber
and is renowned as a good source of fiber in countries such as Nepal, Japan, Philippines, Paraguay
and India. Fibers occur in almost any part of the plant: leaves, pseudo-stem, seeds, fruits and fruit
peels. An acre of land can generate roughly 1000 to 1500 pseudo-stems and from this output,
approximately 10 to 13 of these stems are required to produce 1-2 kg of banana fiber (Prabhu,
2014). The banana plant contains an excellent source of cellulosic fibers which can be explored in
the PPI for its suitability as pulp. The banana peel protecting the fruit which is discarded as waste
and can also be utilised for pulp production (Lilian et al., 2015). These fibers are the purpose of
this research paper.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

4 
 
RAW MATERIAL PREPARATION

The fibers were washed and cleaned with water to remove extraneous matter such as grit and soil
particles and also excess sap water. The pseudo-stems which were detached from layered exterior
bark and foliage were about 20 cm in width and 60cm in height. The pseudo-stem sheaths were
manually separated into individual sheath. The sheath were carefully tuxied using a sharp blade
and the extracted fibers were deprived of pith.

Figure 2: Tuxing technique to separate fiber from pith

PULPING
Chemical pretreatment involved cooking the finely chopped and oven-dried banana bits with the
white liquor (NaOH and Na2S) in a 2:5 ratio. The fibers were chemically extracted according to
the Kraft Process. After cooling, the fibers were filtered in a cloth supported by a wire mesh test
sieve. The black liquor (spent cooking liquor containing lignin) was allowed to flow through the
cloth. After filtration, we are left with brown stock (pulp with residual lignin).The brown stock
was thoroughly washed with water for about 40 minutes to remove black liquor (sodium lignite)
and excess alkali. Hot water was also used to improve imbibition.
The washed pulp was subjected to beating in presence of water in an electric mixer. The revolving
rotors mechanically refined the fibers into uniform length for pulp consistency. Screening is
performed to separate the beaten pulp into accepts and rejects. At this stage, shives, knots and
uncooked fibers are removed as rejects. Laboratory sheets of 60 g/m2 were formed in paper making
machine (T 205 sp-12). Banana to bagasse mix ratios are 20:80, 40:60, 60:40 and 80:20 on an oven
dry basis. Banana to waste paper mix ratios are 20:80, 40:60, 60:40 and 80:20 on an oven dry
basis.
The movable upper part (functioning as a deckle) of the papermaking apparatus was opened by
untightening two wings screws on one side and allowed it to rest on two fixed hinges on the other
side. The mold was removed, cleaned and replaced back in the apparatus. The mold was levelled
using a spirit level to ensure uniform pulp settling. The upper part was reconnected to the lower
part by tightening the wing screws. The two parts were rubber sealed to keep the apparatus
watertight. Water was allowed to flow counter currently to fill the void space inside the apparatus
up to a marked level. The pre-weighed pulp-water mixture was poured into the paper making
apparatus. The uniformly distributed mixture was allowed to settle for a fixed period of time
(approximately 20 minutes). A stop valve was opened and water was allowed to drain off leaving
only the pulp on the mold screen. The pulp was deposited on the cloth which is a technique known

5 
 
as couching (Muraleedharan et al., 2010). Excess water was then blotted softly with a sponge
before removing the mold. The wet paper was then dewatered using a hand roller to ensure
smoothness of the paper and facilitate drying. The moist papers were allowed to dry at room
temperature and pressure.

Figure 3: Moist paper drying at room temperature and pressure

The pressed sheets were conditioned at 23˚C ± 3˚C and 50% ± 2% relative humidity prior to testing
(ISO 187).

Figure 4: Banana paper with mixed ratio of 100% (A), 80% (B), 60% (C), 40% (D) And 20% (E)
wastepaper

6 
 
 Figure 5: Banana Paper with mixed ratio of 20% (A), 40% (B), 60% (C) and 80% (D) Bagasse
fiber.

EXPERIMENTAL FOR CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL ANALYSIS

MOISTURE CONTENT
The samples were placed in an air-forced drying oven at 105 until constant weight was obtained.
The Moisture Content (MC) was then determined in percentage on a wet basis as follows:

% MC = 100

Where: WW = Wet weight of sample and plate, g.

DW = Dry weight of sample and plate, g.
ASH CONTENT
3-5g of oven-dried sample were placed in crucibles which were placed in the muffle furnace at
550 for 2 hours. Ash Content (AC) were determined as follows:

% AC = 100 ̶ % VSC

Where: % VSC = x 100

7 
 
LIGNIN CONTENT AND KAPPA NUMBER
0.5g of grinded sample were used to which 600 ml of distilled water, 75 ml sulphuric acid and 75
ml potassium permanganate were added. The mixture was stirred for about 10 minutes afterwhich
15 ml of potassium iodide was added. The mixture was titrated against sodium thiosulphate until
a pale color was obtained to which 2 drops of starch indicator was added and titrated until a
colorless solution was achieved. The Lignin Content and Kappa number were determined as
follows:

P-No = 75 – v

K-No =

% L = K-No × 0.155
Where: P-No = permanganate number
K-No = Kappa number
v = titre value (ml)
f = correction factor (50%)
w = Weight of raw sample mixed with distilled water (g)
L = Lignin Content

ABSORBENCY ANALYSIS
Absorbency is the liquid sorption rate of bibulous paper using gravimetric principles. The
absorbency is measured by dropping a known volume of liquid onto the sample surface and time
required for the liquid to be absorbed is recorded in seconds (Mahale and Goswami-Giri, 2015).
Normally, water comes in contact with paper either deliberately (using tissue paper) or
unintentionally (using water based glues). Absorbency of paper can be controlled by using a water
repellant sizing material (e.g. rosin) (Coles et al, 2003) which can be a soluble starch normally
used to delay water absorption rate of paper (Coles et al, 2003; Mahale and Goswami-Giri, 2015).
TENSILE STRENGTH ANALYSIS
It is the maximum force required to break a paper strip of a given width under prescribed laboratory
conditions up to the point of rupture (Paper Task Force, 1996). The tensile properties in terms of
the force at peak and at break, strain at peak and at break, elongation at peak and at break, time to
peak, time to failure and Young’s modulus were determined using the testometric material testing
machine.

BURSTING STRENGTH ANALYSIS

Bursting strength tests gave an indication of the amount, proportion and distribution of fibers in
the paper, which are usually affected by the preparation method, beating time, refining, fiber
length, fiber quality and addition of surface additives (ASTM, 1963). Bursting strength is relatively
easy and indicates the ability of a piece of paper to withhold pressure (Paper Task Force, 1996)
ABRASION RESISTANCE ANALYSIS
Abrasion resistance can determine the life span of a material as it affects its appearance, strength
and functionality. Abrasion testing assesses the tribological behaviour of the wrapping paper under

8 
 
conditions it will meet in real life. Samples were subjected to intensive rubbing with standard
emery paper (grade zero).  
CREASE RECOVERY TEST
Creasing quality is an important property of wrapping paper which designates its ability to regain
its original position after enduring crease (ASTM, 1963). Crease recovery of a material is
determined using the recovered angle after a certain time is allowed for recovery. A zero recovery
is designated by 0˚ and a full recovery by 180˚. Good creasing quality should accompany ability
to withstand rupture at the crease line (ASTM, 1963).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Chemical compositions may vary with age, variety, climate, geographical location, etc. (Manilal
and Sony, 2011). For the purpose of this study, banana pseudo stem was utilised for production of
wrapping paper. The physical and mechanical properties were also altered by adding bagasse and
waste paper at different ratios.
Table 1: The initial chemical compositions of the raw materials

Sample Moisture Ash Content Lignin Kappa

Content (%) (%) Content (%) Number
Banana Pseudo Stem 96.3 9.5 12.1 72.3
Waste Paper 8.2 17.7 - -
Bagasse 39.8 2.3 13.8 83.6
The moisture content of fresh banana pseudo stem was 96.3%, which is slightly higher than the
reported value of 95.0 % by Kumar et al. (2013). 39.8% moisture content for bagasse fiber was
significantly lower than the 50% moisture content in fresh bagasse fibers (Anwar, 2010).
Wastepaper showed a least amount of 8.2% moisture content. Variations in moisture content may
exist as moisture varies according to climatic conditions, plant variety, soil type, country of origin
and agricultural practices. Consequently, many mechanical strength properties alter with changes
in moisture content. For this reason, all papers produced were conditioned at 23˚C ± 3˚C and 50%
± 2% relative humidity prior to physical and mechanical testing as per ISO 187 (Kumar et al.,
2013)
The residual non-combustible matter after incineration or burning is referred as ash (ASTM, 1963).
The ash content is lower when pith is efficiently removed (Manilal and Sony, 2011). Pith consists
of parenchyma cells and other conducting tissues which do not affect fiber content significantly
(Manilal and Sony, 2011). The ash content of banana pseudo stem was found to be 9.51 % which
is slightly higher than the 8.20 % value reported by Li et al., (2010). This increase could be due to
the presence of pith which were not completely removed during tuxying.
The kappa number approximately indicates the effectiveness of the amount of lignin left after
delignification of pulp in the range of 1-100 as per ISO 302:2004. This number is a key measure
of the completeness of pulping and helps to estimate the amount of chemicals to be used for

9 
 
bleaching purpose. The high Kappa number of banana (72.3) and bagasse (83.6) fibers indicated
that they can undergo further delignification via bleaching stages. The lignin content of banana
fiber was 12.1%, which is within the reported value of 11-14 % by Kumar et al. (2013). Bagasse
fiber had a higher lignin content (13.8%) than banana fiber but was significantly lower than the
reported value of 15% by (Srinivasan and Sathiya, 2010). A lower lignin content generally reduces
the amount of energy required to pulp the fiber using either mechanical or chemical processes.
(Paper Task Force, 1996).
 

MECHANICAL STRENGTH ANALYSIS

ABSORBENCY
Banana Fiber and Wastepaper Banana Fiber and Bagasse fiber

5
ABSORBENCY (S)

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
PERCENTAGE BY MASS BANANA FIBER

Figure 6: Water absorbency chart for all types of paper produced

Banana paper with mixed ratios of bagasse revealed absorbency within a small range of 0.25 s
whilst banana paper with mixed ratios of wastepaper revealed values within a higher range of
1.03s. The black line (figure 6) displayed a declining trend which indicated that decreasing ratios
of wastepaper was advantageous in terms of absorbency. Absorbency rates with admixtures of
wastepaper were higher than those for bagasse admixtures. 100% bagasse paper and 100% banana
paper showed nearly similar water absorbency and were approximately 2.25 times more absorbent
than paper from 100% wastepaper.
TENSILE STRENGTH
Ververis et al. (2003) states that tensile strength is directly proportional to cellulose content. Figure
7 displays the tensile-elongation relationship showing elastic and plastic properties of banana
paper mixed with 20% bagasse fiber as a model example. The material showed elastic behavior up
to 12.2 seconds and instantly displayed plastic behavior at a 6.8 N force and onwards.

10 
 
 Figure 7: Tensile/elongation relationship showing elastic and plastic properties of banana paper
mixed 20% bagasse fiber.

The tensile force necessary to break the sample was governed by the rate of elongation set by the
tester. A total of 8 strips from each sample were tested for their tensile properties and a mean of
these values were recorded and the tensile index was calculated. The findings of the tensile index
are illustrated on figure 8:

Banana Fiber and Wastepaper Banana Fiber and Bagasse fiber
30

25
Tensile Index (Nm/g)

20

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percentage by mass Banana Fiber 

Figure 8: Tensile index chart for all types of paper produced.

Tensile testing was an important step in the analysis of the mechanical strength of the various
papers produced. The pale grey line trajectory peaks up at a maximum tensile index of 29.4 Nm/g,
indicating that addition of about 20% wastepaper in the pulp mix produced the most stress resistant
paper. There were important improvements in tensile strength of the banana-wastepaper pulp mix

11 
 
when the percentage of banana fibers increased from 60 to 80 %, causing an increase in tensile
index from 23.77 to 29.38 Nm/g. The orange line trajectory revealed that tensile index had the
tendency to decrease with less incorporation of bagasse fiber in the pulp mix. Tensile indexes were
higher for papers produced with wastepaper than with bagasse fiber. This difference indicates that
wastepaper develops higher bonding strength with banana fiber during paper formation. Among
the five mixed ratios of bagasse with banana fiber, 20% bagasse addition for papermaking showed
the greatest tensile strength for a tensile index of 16.04 Nm/g.
BURSTING INDEX

Banana Fiber and Wastepaper Banana Fiber and Bagasse fiber

2.10
2.00
1.90
1.80
1.70
1.60
BURST INDEX (KPA.M2/G)

1.50
1.40
1.30
1.20
1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
PERCENTAGE BY MASS BANANA FIBER

Figure 9: Bursting index chart for all types of paper produced.

The trend of bursting index was observed to be similar to that of the tensile index. The dark black
line trajectory peaks up at a maximum burst index of 2.00 kPa.m2/g, indicating that addition of
about 20% wastepaper in the pulp mix produced the most burst resistant paper. There were
important improvements in bursting strength when the percentage of banana fibers increased from
40 to 80% in the banana-wastepaper pulp mix. The blue line trajectory revealed that burst index
had the tendency to decrease with less incorporation of bagasse fiber in the pulp mix. As such,
20% bagasse addition for papermaking showed the greatest bursting strength for a value of 0.88
kPa.m2/g. Burst indexes were higher for papers produced with wastepaper than with bagasse fiber
but the overall burst indexes increased advantageously with increasing ratios of banana fiber in the
pulp mix.

ABRASION

12 
 
 Banana Fiber and Wastepaper Banana Fiber and Bagasse fiber

200
180
160
140
NUMBER OF TURNS

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
PERCENTAGE BY MASS BANANA FIBER

Figure 10: Abrasion resistance chart for all types of paper produced.

Figure 10 shows an exponential increase in abrasion resistance as the percentage of banana fiber
increased in the pulp mix, indicating that 100% banana paper proved to be the most abrasion
resistant. Abrasion resistance of admixtures of bagasse and wastepaper with banana fiber were
comparable and the overall abrasion resistance increased advantageously with increasing ratios of
banana fiber in the pulp mix. 20% admixtures of bagasse and 20% admixtures of wastepaper
demonstrated the greatest abrasion resistance with 136 turns and 120 turns respectively.

Banana Fiber and Wastepaper Banana Fiber and Bagasse fiber

35.0

30.0

25.0
WEIGHT LOSS (%)

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
PERCENTAGE BY MASS BANANA FIBER

Figure 11: Abrasion weigh loss analysis of all types of paper produced.

13 
 
Figure 11 showed a fairly similar trend in weight loss with both bagasse and wastepaper
incorporation in the pulp mix. However, the abrasion weight loss analysis helped in determining
the optimal mix percentage of bagasse and wastepaper for minimal weight losses. As such, 20 ̶
40% of wastepaper (5.4 ̶ 5.8% weight loss) and 10 ̶ 30% bagasse fiber (10.0 ̶ 15.5% weight loss)
were categorised as optimal mix percentages in the pulp mix for their minimal weight losses and
commendable abrasion resistance.
CREASE RECOVERY
Banana wrapping paper is intended to retain its content intact until it is sold or safely reaches the
customer. Paper is frequently folded in daily applications (packaging and wrapping) to give
permanence (Coles et al., 2003). Desired crease is imparted to paper during intentional folding and
wrapping. Crease subjects the material to various stresses and thus the paper requires an adequate
tensile strength and stretch resistance. Unfortunately, crease marks are left on the specimen after
enduring crease.

Banana Fiber and Wastepaper Banana Fiber and Bagasse fiber

50.0

45.0

40.0

35.0
RECOVERED ANGLE

30.0

25.0

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
PERCENTAGE BY MASS BANANA FIBER

Figure 12: Crease recovery angle chart for all types of paper produced.

Figure 12 shows that all series of paper with admixtures of bagasse and wastepaper exhibit almost
close crease recovery properties. All recovered angle occurred in the range of 32.5˚ to 46.5˚. Paper
from 100% wastepaper showed a rather large crease recovery angle (46.5˚) compared to paper
from 100% bagasse fiber (34.5˚). It was observed that recovery angle advantageously decreased
with increasing banana percentages in the banana-wastepaper pulp mix. Banana-bagasse paper
revealed a slender improvement in recovered angle from a decrease of 100% to 40% bagasse fiber
addition, to then regress at an initial 34.5˚ recovery angle after which the line drops favorably to
34.0˚ at an admixture of 20% bagasse fiber. Figure 61 also depicts that banana paper with
admixtures of bagasse have lower recovery angle as compared to admixtures of wastepaper. The
lowest recovered angle was demonstrated by 100% banana paper (32.5˚). Banana wrapping paper

14 
 
with excellent crease recovery properties can provide a barrier against dirt and contaminants,
prevent loss of its contents and promote hygiene. However, wrapping paper is a sort of specialty
paper and the choice of wrapping paper may be limited to the type of material to be contained.

CONCLUSION
The tuxying technique was an efficient method of pith separation from banana fiber. A total of
four fully grown and harvested banana plants allowed production of about 50 papers with mixed
ratios of wastepaper and bagasse fibers. The papermaking apparatus efficiently modelled the
function of the traditional Fourdrinier papermaking machine excluding the pressing, drying and
calendering section, which were mimicked manually on laboratory scale. Papermaking from a
blend of virgin pulp (banana) with short fiber pulp (bagasse) is a viable option as stated by Kumar
et al. (2013) but did not display the average of the strength properties of their component. Tensile
and burst index charts exposed an initial evidence that wastepaper was most chemically and
physically compatible with banana fiber than bagasse fiber. This is because the interlacing of bonds
is much stronger in case of wastepaper than bagasse fibers. Interestingly, 100% banana paper
proved to be the most absorbent paper (2.15s), the most resistant to abrasion (180 turns) and the
paper with the lowest crease recovery angle (32.5˚). The most tensile and burst resistant paper was
evaluated to be paper from 20% wastepaper admixture which provided a tensile index of 29.4
Nm/g and a bursting index of 2.00 kPa.m2/g. Banana paper with 20 ̶ 40% of wastepaper underwent
the least amount of weight loss (5.4 ̶ 5.8%) during abrasion testing. The investigation further
showed that banana waste residues which are habitually wasted after harvesting, have sufficient
cellulose amounts coupled with low lignin contents which make it ideal as an alternative low cost
material for papermaking. The banana papers produced demonstrated satisfactory empirical results
even without the use of strengthening or binding agents to act as glue. However, pertinent issues
need to be addressed such as cost and energy minimisation in conveying crop residues to the mills.
Buying non-tree paper signifies sparing trees, saving on water and energy and dropping
environmental pollution in the country. As a developing country, we can develop our own
technology suitable to our country’s economy and climatic conditions to broaden the use of natural
fibers such as bagasse and banana fiber in addition to recycled wastepaper. Our country can enroll
with a program that provides curbside pick-up of wastepaper to facilitate recycling. Banana paper
as an eco-product can compete in markets against presently dominating petroleum-based products
and be accepted on an international basis to lower dependency on old growth rainforests. To meet
with this objective, local farmers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and environmental bodies will
necessitate subsidy for marketing and further study, in order to disseminate knowledge about this
mission on the international scale. Cheap availability of raw material, low chemical, energy and
water input and low expertise can inspire investments on such projects.

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18