Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

University Town, Northern Samar, Philippines
Web: uep.edu.ph; Email: uepnsofficial@gmail.com

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education Department

AFA 2a: Crop Production Technology 1: Field Crop and Cereal Production
Report (Fiber Crops: Abaca and Pineapple)

ORTECIO, CRISTINE
BTLEd AFA 2nd Year

EMILIE JAO
Subject Teacher

Second Sem., A.Y. 2023-2024

What is Abaca fiber?
Abaca is a vegetable leaf fiber. The abaca fiber is extracted from the leaf stalks of the
plant. Abaca is also known as Manila hemp. Its appearance is similar to the banana plant,
but it is completely different in its properties and uses. It is a Musasea family plant native to
Asia and planted in humid areas including in the Philippines and East of Indonesia. It is also
commercially grown in Ecuador, and Costa Rica. Abaca fibers are extensively used to
produce ropes, woven fabrics, tea bags, filter paper and banknotes. It is also called
biodegradable and sustainable fiber. Abaca is considered the strongest of natural fibers,
being three times stronger than sisal fiber, and is far more resistant to saltwater
decomposition than most of the vegetable fibers. Compared to synthetic fibers like rayon
and nylon, abaca fiber possesses higher tensile strength and lower elongation in both wet
and dry states.
Leaf fibers have limited commercial value, mainly because they are coarser than the bast
fibers and the uses to which they can be put are limited. The fibers are usually obtained
from the leaves by mechanically scraping away the non-fibrous material. They are then
washed and dried, sometimes in the sun where a degree of bleaching also takes place. The
Philippines is the world’s largest source and supplier of abaca fiber for cordage and pulp for
specialist paper. It supplies 85% of the needed abaca fiber around the globe.

Chemical Composition of Abaca Fiber:

Parameter Percentage (%)

Cellulose 76.6%

Hemicellulose 14.6%

Lignin 8.4%

Pectin 0.3%

Wax and fat 0.1%

Properties of Abaca Fiber:

The characterization result of abaca fiber showed the abaca fiber has the potential to
develop as alternative material based on chemical, physical and thermal properties. Abaca
is one of natural fiber that has high mechanical properties because supported by the
architecture of its cell walls. The mechanical properties of abaca fiber is very influenced by
the cell walls structure, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin composition. Abaca fiber was
measured using 5 varian of thickness for tensile strength, Young’s modulus and elongation
at break.

ABACA
FIBER

Mechanical properties of abaca fiber

Tensile Strength Young’s modulus

Fiber thickness Strain (mm/mm)
(MPa) (MPa)

1 72.594 0.0102 7117.059

5 148.9336 0.0199 7484.102

10 188.6538 0.0301 6288.462

15 262.071 0.0398 6584.602

20 308.7 0.0484 6186.373

Manufacturing Process of Abaca Fiber:

Abaca fibers are processed is a similar manner to sisal and other hard fibers, although the
fibers do show a little more elasticity. The fiber that is obtained from extraction process has
a high percentage of moisture which makes it necessary to dry it at the farm in cane
structures specially designed for this purpose. The drying period can last from a couple of
hours to days, depending on weather conditions. At the same time that this activity is
conducted, a preliminary classification is conducted depending on the color that the fiber
presents. After drying, the fiber is piled in dry places that can be covered and that have
adequate ventilation, because even after drying the fiber holds a certain percentage of
moisture and without ventilation, the fiber can change color and lose quality.
Identification of Abaca:
Although potentially difficult to distinguish from sisal on a slide mount, abaca (Musa textilis)
has many characteristics that help to identify it. Its ultimate have a uniform diameter and a
waxy appearance; often it is darker than sisal; also they are polygonal in cross-section and
vary in size. Abaca may present spiral elements but often will have stegmata which are
visible as small crown-like structures. Abaca, like sisal, has a counter-clockwise twist.
Ropes, cordage and floor mats are typical sources of abaca.
Uses / Applications of Abaca Fiber:
Abaca is a versatile plant with several uses. Because its fibers are particularly resistant to
saltwater, abaca has been commonly used for fishing nets. Abaca fiber is used mainly in
the production of tea bags and meat casings; it is also a substitute for bark, which was once
a primary source of cloth. In addition, it is considered an excellent raw material in the
processing of security and high quality paper, diapers, napkins, machinery filters, medical
textiles (aprons, caps, gloves), and electrical conduction cables, as well as some 200 other
different finished products.

Products of abaca fiber

Fibers are removed from the abaca’s stalk to make ropes, clothing, paper-based materials,
filter cloths, tea and coffee bags, disposable fabrics, reinforcement fibers for plaster, lighter
weight woven fabrics mostly of an artisanal type, and other handicrafts. The cordage
market is decreasing owing to competition from synthetic fibers. These plants thrive well in
shaded and cool habitats and resemble the banana plant in many respects.

The following table shows details uses of abaca fiber:

Uses

Cordage products – ropes, twines, marine cordage, binders, cord

Pulp and paper manufactures – tea bags, filter paper, mimeograph stencil, base tissue, sausage skin,
base paper, cigarette paper, currency paper, chart file folders, envelopes, time cards, book binders and
parchment paper, micro glass air filters media, x-ray negative, optical lens wiper, vacuum filter, oil filter.

Nonwovens – medical face masks and gowns, diapers, hospital linens, bed sheets

Handmade paper – paper sheets, stationeries, all-purpose cards, lamp shades, balls, dividers,
placemats, bags, photo frames and albums, flowers, table cloth

Fibercrafts – handbags, hammocks, placemats, rugs, carpets, purses and wallets, fishnets, door mats,
table clock

Handwoven fabrics – sinamay, pinukpok, tinalak, dagmay, Sacks, hotpads, hemp, coasters, Baskets,
Wallpaper

Furniture

Others – wire insulator and cable, automobile, automobile components/composites

Potential Uses of Abaca

Fiberboards – roofing tiles, floor tiles, hollow blocks, boards, reinforcing fiber concrete and asphalt

Fuels – musafel

Miscellaneous applications – wigs, grass skirts

Future Challenges:
The abaca industry is presently facing several concerns especially in crop production, and
in the processing and marketing of the fiber. These concerns are mainly affected by
different factors such as low fertility of the soil, soil degradation, improper management, and
disease caused by bunchy top virus.

What is Pineapple Leaf Fibre?

Pineapple is one of the most important commercially grown fiber crops since it yields fruit
and textile fiber both. Pineapple is a common tropical plant, which belongs to the family of
Bromelia. While most Bromeliads grow on trees, the pineapple is a ground fruit. This plant
is native to the southern part of Brazil and Paraguay. The quality of the pineapple which is
used for extraction of fiber is different from what is grown as a fruit. The leaves of a fruit
bearing plant also yield fiber; however, they do not yield good quality fiber. Pineapple
plants, with long leaves, specially cultivated for its fiber give the finest quality of pineapple
leaf fiber.
Now a days plant fibers are widely using for numerous applications from many resources.
The most important property of pineapple fiber is biodegradability and non carcinogenic
which bring it back into fashion, with an advantage of being cost-effective. Pineapple leaf
fiber is more delicate in texture than any other vegetable fibers. It helps in climate
restoration and soil quality by preventing soil erosion. It is white, creamy and lustrous as silk
fiber and is 10 times as coarse as cotton, although it is fine (as fine quality jute) with well
separated filaments. The fiber can easily retain dyes. The bundle strength of the pineapple
leaf fiber diminishes on wetting; however the strength of the yarn increases. A mature plant
has about 40 leaves, with each leaf being 1-3 inches broad and ranging in length from 2-5
feet. The average plants per hectare are around 53,000 plants, which can yield 96 tonnes
of fresh leaves. On an average one tone of fresh leaves can yield 25 kg of fibers, thus total
fiber extraction can be around 2 tonnes of fiber per hectare.

Pineapple plants

Extraction Process of Pineapple Leaf Fiber:

The process of fiber extraction from the pineapple leaf can be done either manually or with
the aid of machines. The manual process involves stripping off the fiber from the fretted
leaf. Fibers of the leaf are scrapped by means of a broken plate or coconut shell and a fast
scraper can extract fiber from over 500 leaves per day after which the fibers are washed
and dried in the open air. In this
method a lot of fiber is lost and the
entire process is also very laborious.
With this process, the yield is
around 2-3% of dry fiber, which is
about 20-27 kg of dry fiber from 1 tone
of pineapple leaf. The manual
process of extracting fiber is very
laborious, time consuming and also
there tends to be a lot of wastage.
After drying, the fibers are waxed
to remove the entanglements and the fibers are knotted. During the knotting process, each
fiber is extracted singly from the bunch and knotted end to end to form a long continuous
strand. The fiber is then sent for warping and weaving.

In the mechanical process, the green leaf is cursed in a raspador machine. The soft green
parts of the leaves are crushed and washed in water and the thread is taken out. The
thread is then brushed with a comb and fine threads are separated from the spongy ones.
The last step is knotting of the threads by hand and spinning the threads with the help of a
charka. This final product is one thread, which can be used for preparation of fabric and
clothes. The longer threads are used for making fabric, while the smaller ones can be use
for making carpets, sponge seats and ropes.

Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fiber:

Pineapple Fiber is softer, and has a high luster, and is usually white or ivory in color. Piña
fiber has its own creates a sheer, stiff material that is light in weight, perfect for use in sub-
tropical climates for traditional formal wear & accessories.
Some of the characteristics of the pineapple fiber are:

1. It is very hygroscopic.
2. Coloured white with a sleek appearance.
3. It has high cellulose content.
4. Shiny as silk.
5. It has a low microfibrillar angle.
6. Moderate in length.
7. Fiber bundle strength decrease by 50% when wet.
8. Yarn strength increase by about 50% when wet.
9. Difficulties in dye penetration due to high coarseness.
10. Sweat absorbent and breathable fiber.
11. Hard and not wrinkling properties.
12. Good antibacterial and deodorization performances.

End uses of pineapple fiber:

Handicraft artisans in Philippines have been using pineapple leaves for long to produce
cloth. Pineapple silk is considered the queen of Philippine fabrics and is considered the
fabric of choice of the Philippine elite. Pineapple fiber is sometimes combined with silk or
polyester to create a textile fabric, which is lightweight, has an elegant appearance similar
to linen and easy to care. The pineapple threads have also been used for long in India and
China for lines and threads and as an adulterant in silk. Pineapple leaf fiber is also used for
table linens, bags, mats and other clothing items, where lightweight and stiff fabric is
needed. The characteristics of the fabric made from pineapple fiber make it ideal for high
grade suits, shirts, divided skirt, decorative fabrics and so on.

References:

Abaca Fiber: Properties,

Manufacturing Process and Uses -
Textile Learner.
Properties, Extraction and Uses
of Pineapple Leaf Fiber - Textile
Blog.