Natural Banana Fibre

Specifications

An Introduction:

Banana is the common name for a fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the genus Musa which produce the comm

An Introduction:

 

Banana is the common name for a fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the genus Musa which produce the commonly eaten fruit. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia and Australia. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics. 

 

Each individual fruit (known as a banana or 'finger') has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with a fleshy edible inner portion. Typically, the fruit has numerous strings (called 'phloem bundles') which run between the skin and the edible portion of the banana, and which are commonly removed individually after the skin is removed is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. Bananas are a valuable source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium.

 

Bananas are mainly abundant in the Philippines. Many had come to many discoveries to produce a product from banana. This mail focuses in the various uses and products which can be made extracted from a banana fiber.

 

A brief history and the various uses of Banana Fiber:

 

The banana plant has long been a source of fiber for high quality textiles. In Japan, banana cultivation for clothing and household use dates back to at least the 13th century.

In South Indian state of Tamil Nadu after harvesting for fruit, the trunk (outer layer of the shoot) is made into fine thread used in making of flower garlands instead of thread. I find it interesting that banana fiber is being called a “new fiber”, when it has actually been used for textile purposes for hundreds of years.

 

Global warming is a major threat to mankind .To stop and to reverse the effect of global warming, there is a need to replace non-reverse the effect of global warming, there is a need to replace non- renewable, non-degradable, and synthetic materials with renewable, bio-degradable, and natural material. The best way to bring about the change is to make use of or find innovative uses for agricultural waste which can be used such as banana trunk. 

 

In India, approximately 5 lakhs tones of banana trunk is discarded as waste every year , after harvesting.Instead,we can extract fiber from those trunks which has extensive uses in industries like textile, paper, and composite materials. Banana fiber is a very good replacement for synthetic fiber.

 

Banana fiber is used for the following purposes:

 

• To make currencies, bond papers , and specialty papers which can last for 100 years.
• As a very good replacement for wood pulp in paper industry, as it has high cellulose content,thus reducing the Environmental impact of deforestation.
• In making composite materials as a replacement for fiber glass.
• For manufacturing mattresses, pillows and cushions in the furniture industry.
• In handicraft, extensively for making bags, purse, mobile phone cover, door mats, curtains, and yoga mats etc.
• In the manufacture of textiles. (Yarn)
• Can be used in the Paper and Pulp industry
• Can be used as a Natural Water purifier
• For bio remediation and recycling
• For Printing money
• In the textile industry, it can be used as a base material for attractively patterned cloth such as Shirts, Bedding, Household textiles, socks, etc.
• In Small scale Art and handicraft industries
• In the production of Rope cordage, Yarns, Abrasive backing paper, Tea Bags and Shoes

Ecologically, natural resources are better used and involved farmers have more income. Using more banana fiber means that consumption of cotton or bast (ramie, flax, hemp) fibers will decrease and that we have more land for planting foodstuffs.

 

 

Important Note: Because Banana Fiber is Bio degradable, carrier bags made from it are an ideal alternative to polythene bags which are increasingly becoming an environmental pollutant.

 

Extraction of Banana Fiber:

 

Banana fiber is extracted from the pseudo stem Sheath of the plant. The extraction can be done mainly in three ways: Manual, chemical and Mechanical. Of these, mechanical extraction is the best way to obtain fiber of both good quality and quantity in an Eco-friendly way. After extraction, the fiber is shade dried for a day and packed in HDPE bags, then it is stored away from moisture and light to keep it in good condition until it is used.

 

We are planning to be the pioneers in Sri Lanka by becoming the first manufacturers with the patent rights if possible.