Journal of Natural Fibers

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjnf20

Development of Banana Nonwoven Fabric for

Eco-friendly Packaging Applications of Rural
Agriculture Sector.

Parthiban Manickam & P. Kandhavadivu

To cite this article: Parthiban Manickam & P. Kandhavadivu (2020): Development of Banana
Nonwoven Fabric for Eco-friendly Packaging Applications of Rural Agriculture Sector., Journal of
Natural Fibers, DOI: 10.1080/15440478.2020.1840479

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2020.1840479

Published online: 31 Dec 2020.

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JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS
https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2020.1840479

Development of Banana Nonwoven Fabric for Eco-friendly

Packaging Applications of Rural Agriculture Sector.
Parthiban Manickam and P. Kandhavadivu
Department of Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
As the market demand for biodegradable packaging needs in many coun­ Food packaging; bio-
tries is increasing, packaging material made of banana fiber could be degradable; banana fiber;
a promising, sustainable, eco-friendly alternative for the existing synthetic nonwoven; rural industry;
agriculture sector
materials. Banana fiber provides a better ultraviolet protection factor (UPF)
and weatherproof since it has natural pigment, pectin, and lignin which act 关键词
as UV absorbers, and also it has a higher moisture content which can 食品包装; 可生物降解; 香
preserve food material naturally. In this study, a nonwoven packaging mate­ 蕉纤维; 无纺布; 农村工业;
rial was developed using banana fiber by needle punching technique and 农业部门
was tested for their ability to preserve a few sensitive fruits and vegetables.
From the observations, it was found that the lifespan of almost all the tested
fruits and vegetables has increased in the range of 1–5 days when stored in
boxes lined with banana nonwoven felt when compared to the existing
commercial package, except for banana where the life span has reduced by
2 days. Hence, the banana pseudostem which is a wasted resource can be
utilized as a sustainable, eco-friendly packaging material fetching additional
income to the agriculture sector and also help the formers to increase the life
span of their produce.
摘要
随着许多国家对可生物降解包装需求的市场需求不断增加, 香蕉纤维包装
材料有望成为现有合成材料的一种有前途的, 可持续的, 环保的替代品. 香
蕉纤维含有天然色素, 果胶, 木质素等紫外线吸收剂, 水分含量高, 能自然保
存食品, 具有较好的防紫外线性能和耐候性. 本研究以香蕉纤维为原料, 采
用针刺技术研制了一种非织造包装材料, 并对其保鲜效果进行了测试. 通过
观察发现, 与现有的商业包装相比, 几乎所有被测水果和蔬菜的寿命都在1-
5天内增加, 除了香蕉的使用寿命缩短了2天. 因此, 香蕉假茎是一种浪费资
源, 可以作为一种可持续的, 环保的包装材料, 为农业部门带来额外的收入,
也有助于香蕉生产商延长产品的使用寿命.

Introduction
Ever since ancient man felt the need for food storing for the next day’s consumption, the technology of
food packaging in its primitive form emerged. The concept of traditional packaging itself is changing
with time. Today’s context of packaging is both a symbol of society’s consumption habits and
a reflection of its progress. In addition to its standard attributes, today’s packaging is also expected
to contribute to protecting the environment besides being friendly to human health.
Recently, polypropylene, polyethylene, and thermo foam polymers are used as packaging materials
for fruits and vegetables which do not give sun protection and also are nonbiodegradable (Ankita et al.
2015). These synthetic packaging material waste becomes a huge threat to the environment. As the

CONTACT Parthiban Manickam parthi_mtech@yahoo.com Department of Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology,
Coimbatore, Tamilnadu 641004, India.
© 2020 Taylor & Francis
2 P. MANICKAM AND P. KANDHAVADIVU

Figure 1. Raw fiber – 150 X magnification.

Figure 2. Enzyme treated – 150 X magnification.

 JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS 3

Figure 3. EM treated – 150 X magnification.

Figure 4. Water treated – 150 X magnification.

4 P. MANICKAM AND P. KANDHAVADIVU

Figure 5. Raw fiber – Force vs. strain graph.

Figure 6. Enzyme treated – Force vs. strain graph.

market demand in many countries for biodegradable packaging needs is increasing, the banana fiber
packaging material could be a promising sustainable alternative for the existing synthetic materials.
Natural fibers have distinct properties like high strength, low weight, low-cost processing and
biodegradability than synthetic fibers (Bussara et al. 2012). Banana, one of the earlier and most
important crops cultivated in tropical countries has been valued for its application in the food
industry. The banana fiber provides a better ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) and weatherproof
 JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS 5

Figure 7. Em treated – Force vs. strain graph.

Figure 8. Water treated – Force vs. strain graph.

since it has natural pigment, pectin, and lignin which act as UV absorbers. It also has a higher
moisture content which enhances its ability to preserve the food materials naturally. If the banana
fiber is softened, there is a huge scope and possibility for the development of banana nonwoven
fabric by needle punching technology and utilizing the abundantly available natural waste
resource to preserve vegetables and fruits with long time exposure to sun radiation (Birdie
Scott et al. 2014)
6 P. MANICKAM AND P. KANDHAVADIVU

Figure 9. Comparative graph for chili.

Figure 10. Comparative graph for banana.

Figure 11. Comparative graph for betel leaf.

 JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS 7

Figure 12. Comparative graph for grapes.

Figure 13. Comparative graph for cucumber.

Banana pseudostem waste is abundantly available in India especially in the south(Debabandya,

Sabyasachi, and Namrata 2010). Being a rich source of natural fibers, the pseudostem can be profitably
utilized for numerous applications and preparation of various products (Jagadeesh, Venkatachalam,
and Nallakumarasamy 2015). This research work focuses on the bio-softening of banana fibers and to
investigate the preservative quality of the banana fiber for packaging use. This bio-softening process is
considered safer as it is a green and eco-friendly process (Michele et al. 2015).
India is the world’s largest producer of banana. The fiber has limited application in textiles due to
its high stiffness and less cohesive properties. The aim of the study was to remove noncellulosic
gummy materials from banana fiber thus softening it and prepare nonwovens through the needle
punch method. Grey banana fibers were treated with hemicellulase, pectinase, and cellulase enzyme
individually by varying its concentration and time. This optimized treatment was treated with
a different combinations of enzymes, and then standardized. Owing to environmental concern, it is
imperative to utilize natural resources. Banana fibers, one of the minor cellulosic fibers are obtained
from the pseudostem of the banana plant. The pseudostems are normally discarded as biomass after
harvesting the fruit. Banana fibers are potential textile fibers due to their excellent strength and luster,
however, lack spin ability due to stiffness. Lignin present in the bast fibers is one of the reasons that
adds to stiffness. Hence, the present study is about softening banana fibers using enzymes. Four
8 P. MANICKAM AND P. KANDHAVADIVU

Figure 14. Comparative graph for carrot.

Figure 15. Comparative graph for tomato.

different enzymes were applied individually to optimize the concentration and conditions and a final
treatment was standardized in combinations. The order of application of enzyme treatment as
a combination was also studied. Accordingly, this paper also discusses the development toward the
sequential and simultaneous mixed enzyme systems to accomplish softness.
The methods such as biological, mechanical, and chemical treatments are followed for the extrac­
tion of banana fibers. Extraction is a process of separation of nonfibrous plant tissues and other
cementing material from the fiber bundles. In mechanical extraction, 15 kg to 20 kg of banana fiber
could be recovered in a day compared to 500 g a day through a laborious manual process.

Methodology
Extraction of banana fiber from pseudostem
After harvesting the fruits and vegetables, the pseudostem is cut near to the ground level.
Presently, hand extraction or extraction using a semi-automatic machine are done. For extraction,
the sheath has to be separated from the pseudostem by splitting it. The splitting of pseudostem is
 JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS 9

generally done using a knife or the pseudostem cutter machine developed by the NAU, Navsari
which facilitates the speedy splitting of pseudostem into 2 or four halves (Narendra and Yiqi
2005). From these halves, sheaths are extracted easily. In the manual method of extraction, the
pseudostem sheaths are scraped and the fiber is separated using a metal scrapper (Preethi and
Balakrishna Murthy 2013). Whereas in the mechanical method, the banana pseudostem and empty
bunches are soaked in a tank for four to 6 days and the soaked liquor is circulated through an
attached anaerobic reactor (Ravi, Gourav, and Sachin 2015). During this process, the pectin which
is the intercellular cementing substance present around the fibers is degraded, resulting in the
separation of fibers from their embedding sheath (Rita, Margarida, and Artur 2008; Vigneswaran
et al. 2015). The fibers are later dried.

Characterization of gray fiber

After the extraction of fiber, chemical composition testing is done. Fiber chemical composition test
was preferred for analyzing the characterization of fiber and the percentage of chemical content
available in it.

Softening of banana fiber using enzymes

An inherent drawback of the banana fiber is its greater stiffness, less cohesiveness, and higher
irregularity, owing to the multi-cellular nature of the fibers. The individual cells are cemented with
hemicellulose and lignin and thus form a complex fiber. In order to make the banana fiber suitable
enough to form a web using needle punching technology, it has to be softened. 5 ml of the enzyme
were taken in a conical flask and was made up to 100 ml with DM water. The solution was transferred
to another glass container and 2 gms of fiber was soaked in the solution and was left to be treated for
2 h. Then, the treated fiber was taken out and dried in the open air.

Effective micro-organisms
Fifteen l of water, 50 ml of EM, and 50 g of country sugar are mixed in a plastic bottles. It is kept for
7 days for fermentation to activate the mixture. The bottle should be opened once a day to release the
gas formed inside, during the fermentation process. A yellow layer on the surface water and alcoholic
smell indicate the solution is fermented. Twenty-five grams of banana fiber are soaked in the activated
solution for 24 h for softening purpose. Later the fibers are taken out squeezed off the excess EM, and
then dried in the open air.

Water treatment
One of the commercial methods used in industries for softening banana fiber is soaking it in water and
drying it in the open air. The fiber was soaked in distilled water for 12 h in a closed container. Twenty
gms of fiber was soaked in 100 ml of water. At the end of 12 h, the fiber was taken out, excess water was
removed and then the fiber was air-dried on a filter paper.

FESEM test
Four samples (i.e., raw fiber, effective microorganism treated, water treated, and enzyme treated) were
tested for FESEM analysis. The structural change and damage or any morphological change in the
surface of the fiber can be identified. From the identification, the best softer was selected
comparatively.
10 P. MANICKAM AND P. KANDHAVADIVU

Tensile strength test

Tensile testing is used to determine the behavior of a sample while an axial stretching load is applied.
This type of test may be performed under ambient or controlled conditions to determine the tensile
property of the material. This is also used to determine the maximum load that fiber can withstand.
Tensile testing may be based on a load value or elongation value.

Needle punching technology

Needle punching is one of the oldest methods of producing nonwoven products. The web for needle
punching nonwoven is made with the help of dry-laid technology mainly by the carding process. This
process involves forcibly entangling layers of loose staple fibers or filaments into a 3D structure by
alternately punching and pulling out beds of barbed needles. With needle punching, strong yet flexible
and comparably thick nonwoven are produced. These nonwoven have high water permeability and
high abrasion resistance.

Latex coating
Latex is a stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. It is a complex emulsion
consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulate on
exposure to air. Here the liquid latex is mixed with water in the ratio of 1:4 and the diluted latex was
sprayed over the nonwoven felt on both sides using a sprayer. Then, the latex coated nonwoven
banana fiber was left to dry. The coating is done to prevent the disentangling of fiber from nonwoven.

Results and discussion

Properties of the banana fiber after softening
Weight loss
The weight loss in the fiber is one factor that indicates the strength loss caused by the process that the
fiber undergoes. The weights of a particular amount of fiber before and after the softening process are
noted and then the loss is calculated.
As observed from the Table 2, we can conclude that the weight loss percentage is maximum with
enzyme treatment indicating excessive damage to the fibers. In the softening process with effective
micro-organisms, banana fiber is treated well, and the wax content is removed, but the fiber is
damaged to some extent whereas with water treatment, the weight loss obtained is minimum.

FESEM analysis
FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope) is used to visualize very small topographic
details on the surface or entire or fractioned objects. It is a microscope that works with electrons. The
topographic details of the raw fiber, enzyme-treated fiber, effective micro-organism treated fiber, and
water treated fiber are studied at 150X magnification.
From the results of SEM analysis, it can be observed that water treatment on fibers does not have
enough effect on the fiber as the wax or dirt contents were not removed. In the case of enzymes, there is

Table 1. The weight loss was observed.

Initial Weight Final Weight
Method of Treatment (Grams) (Grams) Weight Loss %
Enzymes 2 1.9 5%
Effective micro-organism 25 24.17 3.32%
Water 20 19.7 1.5%
 JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS 11

Table 2. Tensile strength of treated banana fibers.

Raw Banana EM Soaked Banana Enzyme Treated Banana Water Soaked Banana
Fiber – Tensile Strength Fiber Fiber Fiber Fiber
Mean breaking strength Fmax(N) 2.81 4.39 2.94 4.17
Mean breaking elongation dL at 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.4
Fmax (%)

Table 3. Comparative results for commercial package and banana liner package.
S.No Fruits and Vegetables No of Days Without Liner No of Days With Liner Percentage change in life span
1 Banana 7 5 −29%
2 Betel Leaf 1 2 100%
3 Carrot 4 7 75%
4 Chilly 6 7 16%
5 Cucumber 2 4 100%
6 Grapes 8 13 63%
7 Tomato 12(shrinkage) 13 (without shrinkage) 9%

excessive damage to the fibers. The fibers treated with effective micro-organisms are treated well and
the wax content is removed but the fiber is damaged to some extent.

Strength test
The difference in strength obtained by processing the banana fiber with different media is tested. The mean
breaking strength (Fmax) in newton and the mean breaking elongation (dL) at Fmaxin percentage are
calculated for each sample. Thirty readings are taken with a preload of 0.1 MPa and a test speed of 10 mm/
min. The graph of strain in % against force in N is obtained for the four samples and the results are
compared.
From the tensile strength results, it can be inferred that EM soaked banana fiber has the highest
tensile strength. It can also be seen that the EM treatment and water treatment have improved the
tensile strength of the raw banana fiber double the time. EM treated banana fiber has the highest
strength and moderate weight loss. The SEM results also show that the EM treated banana fiber has all
the wax and dirt particles removed with the least degradation possible. It can be concluded that the
softening of the fiber with effective micro-organisms gives the best results.

Eco-friendly packaging and storage liner of fruits and vegetables

In this research, the below figures explain the difference between the efficiency of the storage
capacity of various fruits and vegetables with respect to commercial package containers vs
banana liners. The images help you to take up a firm decision on the benefits and life
span capability or durability of the eco-friendly packaging products. The comparison has
been made to provide a detailed report on the life span of commercial liners with respect to
banana liners (without moisture) and also commercial liners with respect to banana liners
(with moisture).

Performance of commercial package vs banana liner package

The above table shows that except for banana, the banana liner package has helped in preserving
and even improving the lifetime of the fruits and vegetables. With the help of the observation
pictures, subjective analysis of the fruits and vegetables daily was done and rating points were
given to them against a five-point scale. These ratings given for the fruits and vegetables observed
in the commercial packages and in banana fiber liner packages was compared and depicted as
a line graph.
12 P. MANICKAM AND P. KANDHAVADIVU

Analysis of the eco-friendly packaging benefits of banana liners

Chili
In the case of a commercial package without liner, the chilies have shrunken and ripened
by the 6th day. Whereas in the case of the banana liner package, the chilies have fully ripened
on the 7th day. Similarly, in the case of moisturized storage, chilies have shrunken but have not
been fully ripened even by the sixth day. The lifetime of chilies has improved by 16%.

Betel leaf& cucumber

In the case of the commercial package, betel leaves have shrunken within a small period of 24 h.
Whereas in the case of the banana liner package, the lifetime of betel leaves has shown a great
improvement to 2 days. This means that the lifetime has improved up to 100%.
In the case of cucumber in a commercial package, the lifetime is only 2 days. In the case of
cucumber placed in the banana liner package, its life span is about 4 days. In contrast to other
fruits, the cucumber kept in a moisturized package has a smaller life span (2 days) than the one kept
in the banana liner package. Thus, the banana liner has improved the life span of cucumber up
to 100%.

Carrot& banana
In the case of commercial packaging, the carrot sustains only up to 4 days. But in the case of the
banana liner package, the life span of cucumber has improved to 7 days in both with and
without moisturized condition. Thus, the lifetime has improved by 75% because of the banana
liner.
The normal life span of bananas in the commercial package is observed to be 7 days. But when kept
in the banana liner package, the banana has ripened faster than the commercial package (5 days). The
ripening is slowed down in the case of moisturized banana storage. Still, this is not better than the
commercial package. This shows that the banana liner package reduces the life span of banana by 29%
and so it is not suitable for bananas.

Tomato and grapes

In the case of tomato, it has not shrunken even after 7 days in the case of banana liner package whereas,
in a commercial package, it has begun to shrink on the 5th day. In the case of grapes, the life span
observed was 8 days. Whereas in the case of the banana liner, the life span observed was 13 days. Thus,
the lifetime has improved by 63% because of the banana liner.

Conclusions
The banana pseudostem is a resource that is not utilized fully. This wasted resource has been utilized
by sustainable techniques for eco-friendly packaging purpose. Banana fiber nonwoven felt was
developed from the pseudostem of the banana plant by needle punching technology and was tested
for a few sensitive fruits and vegetables including grapes, cucumber, banana, carrot, beetle leaf, green
chili, and tomato. From the observations, it has been found that the lifespan of almost all the tested
fruits and vegetables has improved in the range of 1–5 days when stored with the banana fiber lined
package compared to the existing commercial package, except for banana where the life span has
reduced by 2 days.
The banana nonwoven felt developed could further be improved by reducing the nonwoven
thickness and giving additional finishes such as antimicrobial finish. This can also be molded into
the carton box shape, fruit trays that are used for packaging, etc. In bulk, this nonwoven felt could be
produced at an affordable cost. The banana nonwoven could also be used as packaging material for
exporting fruits and vegetables to other countries.
 JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS 13

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