Efficacy of Aloe Vera as an Alternative

Paper Adhesive

Will Perkins - 1015488

Chemistry 4T – Line 4

Matthew Hall

Due: 4th September 2020

Page 1
History of Glues
An adhesive or glue is defined as any non-metallic substance that is applied to one or more surfaces in
order bind them and resist their separation. Adhesives are an exceedingly important part of modern
society, overcoming the challenges faced by other binding techniques. Adhesives provide a better
distribution of stress across a joint and offer a flexible seal over a larger binding site to produce a
stronger and more durable bond (van de Velde et al. 2015). Although adhesives are applied to a surfeit
of fields, most are specifically designed for an application that optimises their bond strength. Their bond
strength is the strength of the bond formed between the glue and the material at the binding site
(Wagoner et al. 2016). The greater the bond strength, the stronger the glue. Adhesives are categorised
by their ideal application and by their base compounds, whether that be water, sugar, resin, or a synthetic
polymer. Each variety of adhesive is applied to a unique field in which its physical and chemical
characteristics are optimised. For the purposes of this investigation only water-based and sugar-based
glues will be discussed.
Adhesives have a long anthropological history, dating back hundreds of thousands of years. The first
glues recorded came from the Pleistocene period (280 000 – 25 000 years ago) (Pyne, 2016). These
primitive glues were primarily composed of tree sap resin and were employed to assemble weapons and
tools (Pyne, 2016). The variety of adhesive and their applications expanded rapidly during subsequent
periods to include compound adhesives using sugar-protein complexes. The same sugar-protein
structures are utilised by the Aloe vera glue produced in this investigation.
The control adhesive used in this investigation is a water-based variety of PVA. Basic PVA adhesive is
designed as a wood adhesive due to its high bond strength and acclimation to porous materials. When
emulsified in water, the resulting PVAc compound otherwise known as ‘Clag Glue’, is ideal for
applications as a paper adhesive. The PVAc compound is a polymer-based water glue, causing high
bond strength and durability. The Aloe vera glue, unlike PVAc is a sugar-based water glue, indicating
that its reliance on the interactions of organic sugar-protein complexes.

Aloe Vera and its Components

Aloe Vera is a species of succulent plant,
cultivated for its medicinal and agricultural
applications (Hamman, 2008). There are over 400
varieties of Aloe Vera plant, all of which are
characterised by their common anatomical
structure. Aloe Vera leaves are
compartmentalised into three major layers: the
outer rind, the inner latex layer, and the inner gel
layer (Hamman, 2008). In the production of Aloe
Vera glue, only the inner gel layer is utilised as it
contains the required nutrients, sugars, and
proteins. For the purposes of this experiment, only two species of Aloe Vera have been considered:
Aloe Barbadensis and Aloe Rubroviolacea. Both have similar internal structures and physical
compositions.
The inner gel or pulp of the Aloe Vera is comprised primarily of water (98.5%) and a mixture of ‘dry
matter’ including sugars, proteins, and enzymes (Kar et al. 2017). Of the 1.5% dry matter, 7% is made
up of proteins whilst 70% is a blend of monosaccharides (17%) and polysaccharides (53%) (Kar et al.
2017). It is these polysaccharides that are the active ingredient within Aloe Vera glue (Saple et al. 2008).
To produce the Aloe Vera glue used in this investigation, four base ingredients are combined with the
chosen source of Aloe Vera. Full Cream milk is curdled with vinegar to produce a whey protein product
which is added to the Aloe Vera along with a small amount of boiling water. This mixture is then added
to a baking soda catalyst which accelerates the chemical reaction to form an immediately usable paper
adhesive. The active ingredients are found in the Aloe Vera and the milk in the form of polysaccharides
and whey proteins. It is these ingredients that drive the chemical formation of the glue, bonding via a
process called the Maillard Reaction.

The Maillard Reaction

The Maillard Reaction describes the reduction of sugars by proteins or other amine groups. The
reversable process occurs over numerous steps as the protein is reduced and the sugar is oxidised (Dills,
1993). The reactants combine in the presence of water to produce a cyclic protein-polysaccharide
complex. This complex is called the Amadori Product (Dills, 1993). The reaction mechanism is the
same process that results in the caramelisation of foods, at which point further oxidation of the Amadori
product occurs (Zhong et al. 2013).
In the formation of Aloe Vera glue, only the first two stages of the Maillard Reaction occur. Aloe Vera
is rich in reducing sugars (polysaccharides) which bond with whey proteins from milk to form the cyclic
Amadori Product (Zhong et al. 2013). This product houses the key binding sites of the Aloe Vera glue
on the hydroxyl groups and Nitrogen. In order for the reaction to proceed, the reducing sugar must be
in a linear structure containing the required aldehyde group (Setiowati et al. 2020). The amine group
must also be a primary structure to ensure the Nitrogen has enough bonding potential.

Aim and Hypothesis

,

Current commercial paper adhesives are generally synthetic polymer-based substances, making their
production an economically intensive and difficult process. The adhesive marketplace demands a cost-
effective and environmentally sustainable paper adhesive which can be found in the form of a sugar-
based water glue.
The aim of this investigation is to explore the potential application of Aloe Vera as an alternative paper
adhesive by comparing various sources of Aloe Vera glue to dilutions of commercially available PVAc.
The strength of each test adhesive will be tested when bonded to card-like paper. Aloe Vera will be
obtained from four sources: Aloe Barbadensis, Aloe Rubroviolacea, Commercial Aloe Vera Gel, and
Aloe Vera Hand Sanitiser, in order to determine the optimal variety of glue. If found to be an effective
paper adhesive, Aloe Vera promises to be an economically and environmentally sustainable alternative
to commercially available glues.
The hypothesis is as follows:
‘If Aloe Vera is an effective alternative paper adhesive, it will return a binding strength result greater
than that of 50% diluted PVAc’
Method
Glue Production
,

First, all equipment was collected, and 10 mL of milk was added to 10 mL of white vinegar in a beaker
before the resulting mixture was strained through the sieve to leave only the solid whey product. The
whey was then returned to the beaker with 10 mL of Aloe Barbadensis gel before being stirred with a
stirring rod. 1 tsp of baking soda was then added with 10 drops of boiling water. The resulting glue was
then stirred thoroughly and poured into a labelled glass jar which was subsequently sealed.
All equipment was washed before repeating the process with 10 mL of each of the remaining Aloe Vera
sources: Aloe Rubroviolacea, commercial gel, and hand sanitiser.
To prepare the dilutions of the PVAc glue, five separately labelled beakers (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%,
10%) were prepared. To the first beaker, 10 mL of PVAc was added. To the second, 7.5 mL of PVAc
and 2.5 mL of water was added before 5 mL of water and 5 mL of PVAc was added to the third beaker.
7.5 mL of water and 2.5mL of PVAc were added to the fourth beaker before 9 mL of water and 1 mL
of PVAc was added to the fifth beaker. Each was poured into a labelled glass jar and sealed before being
set aside.

Glue Testing
First, the card strips were separated into nine groups of ten and labelled with their respective test
adhesive. Next, a 4 cm2 area in the centre of two strips was covered in the test adhesive before being
combined in a perpendicular fashion and placed under a heavy textbook to ensure no external forces
inhibited the setting of the glue. This process was repeated five times for each test glue. The glued strips
were left to set for 48 hours.
Once set, the textbooks were removed and monofilament was tied from each end of the strips to create
a parabola-like shape, with the pressure focused on the glued area. Each pair of strips was tied the same
way before a retort stand was set up with boss head and retort clamp. The first test strip of 100% PVAc
was then looped over the top of the retort clamp via the monofilament. The spring scale was then
attached to the bottom loop of monofilament before a slow-motion camera was set up to film the scale.
Next, vertical downward pressure was applied to the scale until the adhesive between the two strips of
card broke. The greatest value shown on the scale on the slow-motion video was recorded before the
test was reconducted with the remaining four test strips.
The process was completed identically for all adhesive types and the results recorded and extrapolated
in graphical and tabular form.
Materials
- 100 mL PVAc (Clag Glue)
- 20 mL Aloe Vera Hand Sanitiser
- 20 mL Commercial Aloe Vera Gel
- 25 mL Beaker x 6
- 25 mL Measuring Cylinder x 2
- 30 lb Monofilament
- 5 kg Spring Scale
- 50 g Baking Soda
- 50 mL Boiling Water
- 50 mL Full Cream Milk
- 50 mL White Vinegar
- Aloe Barbadensis gel/pulp
- Aloe Rubroviolacea gel/pulp
- Aprons
- Boss Head
- Card Strips x 90 (2cm x 10 cm)
- Electronic Scale (± 0.0001)
- Fine Gauge Metal Sieve
- Glass Jars x 9
- Hole Punch
- Knife
- Masking Tape
- Metal Spoon
- Paddle Pop Stick x 9
- Permanent Marker
- Retort Clamp
- Retort Stand
- Safety Glasses
- Scissors
- Stirring Rod
- Textbook x 9
Results
Graph Displaying the Relationship Between PVAc
Dilutions and the Average Break Mass
1.2

1
BREAK MASS (KG)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
100% PVAc 75% PVAc 50% PVAc 25% PVAc 10% PVAc
PVAC DILUTION

This graph shows the relationship between the dilutions of PVAc and the average mass required to
break the bonds between the glue and the card substrate. The flat trend between the 100%, 75%, 50%,
and 25% dilutions indicates that it was not the bonds of the glue being broken, rather the bonds within
the card substrate failing. This suggests that the bonds within the substrate had less strength than those
between it and the PVAc. These findings are reinforced by physical observations which showed that
the substrate had ripped under the force applied, leaving the glue intact. The 10% dilution however,
only recorded an average break mass of 0.37 kg, showing that the bond strength of the diluted PVAc
was less than that of the card substrate.

Graph Displaying the Relationship Between Glue

Type and the Average Break Mass
1.2
1
BREAK MASS (KG)

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

GLUE TYPE
This graph shows the relationship between glue type and average breaking mass for the glue-substrate
bond. It shows again that all PVAc dilutions barring the 10%, were stronger than the bonds within the
substrate. It also shows that Aloe Barbadensis was a stronger adhesive than 10% PVAc before the
commercial Aloe Vera gel. Aloe Rubroviolacea and Aloe Vera Hand Sanitiser broke under the wight
of the substrate strips, indicating a very low bond strength.
 Graph Displaying the Relationship Between
Glue Type and the Average Break Mass
0.5
BREAK MASS (KG)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
10% PVAc Barbadensis Commercial Gel Rubroviolacea Hand Sanitiser
GLUE TYPE

The graph displays the relationship between glue type and the average breaking mass of the glue-
substrate bond for all test glues with bond strengths lower than that of the bonds within the substrate.
In other words, the included glues broke before the substrate ripped. It shows that Aloe Barbadensis
was the strongest, followed by 10% PVAc and then the commercial Aloe Vera gel. Aloe Rubroviolacea
and the Aloe Vera hand sanitiser returned extremely low strength results.

100% 75% 50% 25% 10% Aloe Aloe Commercial Hand

PVAc PVAc PVAc PVAc PVAc Barbadensis Rubroviolacea Gel Sanitser

Average
Breaking
0.987 0.882 0.918 1.026 0.365 0.449 0.030 0.100 0.020
Force
(Kg)
Maximum
Force 0.247 0.220 0.230 0.256 0.091 0.112 0.008 0.025 0.005
(Kg/cm²)

𝐵𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝐾𝑔) = 0.112 (𝐾𝑔/𝑐𝑚2 )

𝐹𝑎 =
𝐵𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 (𝑐𝑚2 )
0.449
=
4
Discussion
The results gathered through this investigation do not support the hypothesis, indicating that Aloe Vera
is not an effective alternative to PVAc as a paper adhesive. The hypothesis stated that:
‘If Aloe Vera is an effective alternative paper adhesive, it will return a binding strength result greater
than that of 50% diluted PVAc’
However, all of the Aloe Vera glue varieties performed relatively poorly, failing to exceed the strength
test result of the 50% PVAc. In all of the PVAc dilutions, excluding the 10%, the paper substrate failed
before the glue, indicating that the adhesive bonds had a greater strength than the bonds within the paper.
The 10% dilution broke under a force of 0.091 kg/cm2, showing that the adhesive bond strength inferior
those within the substrate. This result became the only testable benchmark against the various Aloe
Vera glues.
The best performing and therefore the strongest of the Aloe Vera glues was the glue derived from Aloe
Barbadensis, breaking under a strain of 0.112 kg/cm2. The other sources of Aloe Vera did not perform
at a level greater than that of the 10% diluted PVAc, signalling their ineffectiveness as alternative paper
adhesives. The result of the Aloe Barbadensis adhesive, demonstrates that the adhesive bonds between
the molecule’s binding sites – on the hydroxyl groups and the Nitrogen – and the paper substrate are
greater in strength than those of the commercially available PVAc at 10% dilution. The failure of all
varieties of Aloe Vera glue, in comparison to the commercially available PVAc, show that the PVAc
compound produces superior adhesive bonds with the substrate at the binding site.
Despite the failure of all Aloe Vera varieties, one source produced a far stronger glue than any of the
other sources. The glue derived from Aloe Barbadensis was far stronger than its closest counterpart:
commercial Aloe Vera gel. This is due to the greater concentration of polysaccharides within Aloe
Barbadensis in comparison to other Aloe Vera sources. The greater availability of polysaccharides
increases the rate at which the Maillard reaction can progress, producing a greater number of Amadori
Products and therefore binding sites. The Aloe Barbadensis glue is not a stronger glue in the sense that
it has a greater bond strength, merely it has a greater bonding potential with more active binding sites
within the glue itself.
This investigation is not without inaccuracy and a number of further tests are required to confirm and
further the preliminary data gathered. There were a number of inaccuracies in the production of the
glues themselves. Firstly, the coverage of the Aloe Vera glues on the test strips was not always equal
as the glue held a mucus-like consistency with slight separation of components. As a result, the accuracy
of the test strips may have been compromised. In addition to this, the adhesives were left to dry in an
area with intermittent sunlight, potentially leading to inconsistent drying times and temperatures. This
may have influenced the accuracy of the results. The largest potential for inaccuracy came through test
procedure. During the application of the force onto the test strips, some ripping occurred where the
monofilament had been passed through, potentially altering the results by dispersing some of the force.
Additionally, the force applied to the strips may not have been precisely vertical, possibly altering the
orientation and degree of force.
In order to conduct a more complete and conclusive investigation a number of measures could be taken,
including the use of a stronger paper substrate to ensure that all PVAc dilutions returned an accurate
and functional result. A mechanised force application system such as the use of a sheer testing machine,
would provide a more accurate and credible set of data whilst the use of a greater range of comparison
glues would increase the scope of results and their applications.
The results gathered through this investigation did not support the hypothesis and show that Aloe Vera
is not an effective alternative to PVAc as a paper adhesive. The strongest Aloe Vera glue was derived
from Aloe Barbadensis and broke under a force less than that of all of the PVAc dilutions barring the
10% mixture. The paucity of the Aloe Vera glue’s adhesive bond strength does not outweigh its
economic and environmentally sustainable potential and supports the use of PVAc. Other Aloe Vera
derived glues returned negligible results due to their low concentrations of polysaccharides, the active
ingredients within Aloe Vera adhesives. With the introduction of a mechanised testing system and a
wider range of comparative paper adhesives, the investigation’s findings would have a greater
credibility and a wider scope. This investigation has widened our understanding of sugar-based water
adhesives derived through protein-polysaccharide complexes and has the potential, through other
adhesive sources, to provide an economically and environmentally sustainable adhesive for a range of
applications.
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