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Utilization of Plantain Stem Fibre for Making Wrapping Materials
Abstract of Utilization of Plantain Stem Fibre for Making Wrapping Materials
Wood has become one of the major basic raw materials for the production of pulp, paper and fibre based products over the years, However, the ever increasing demand for wood as construction materials, furniture, fuels, charcoal, e.t.c. on one hand and the problem of deforestation and scarcity of wood in many countries, has directed attention to the use of non-wooden materials for paper making. The aim of this work is to identify an alternative paper out of plantain stem fibre using kraft process. In this research, plantain stem fibre was gathered, sliced into smaller masses and boiled in a solution of NaOH + H2O, with concentration of NaOH ranging from 0.5M, 1.0M, 1.5M, 2.0M for an hour at 60oc. When the fibre turned brown, it was ready to be crushed in a blender, the pulp mixture was poured into mold and deckle. After drying, Plantain fibre paper was produced. The result shows that varying the concentration of NaOH gave a varied mass of dry paper produced from 15.4g, 15.2g, 15.0g and 14.4g and a varied pulp yield from 15.6g, 15.0g, 14.8g and 14.6g respectively. From this work, it is evident that plantain stem fiber is agood alternative source of paper.
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