STUDY ON THE PROPERTIES OF NATURAL PAPER FROM LEMONGRASS’S LEAVE MIXED POLYLACTIC - ACID FIBER

Abstract

The  objectives  of  this  research  were  to  :  1)  study  the  forming  process  of  paper  from lemongrass  leaves  and  2)  test  the  mechanical properties  of  paper  from  lemongrass.  This  is  an  experimental research.  The  pulp was made by  boiling  the  leaves  with  lemon  grass,  sodium  hydroxide,  20  percentage  by  weight of  pulp  and  boiled  for  3  hours  and  then wash  the  pulp  until  the  fiber  remains.  The pulp  was  beaten  for  45  minutes  and  all  six  paper  types;  they  are  plain  paper  without poly-lactic  acid  fibers,  paper  mixed  with  2% poly-lactic  acid  fiber,  paper  mixed  with  4%  poly-lactic  acid  fiber,  paper  mixed  with  6% poly-lactic  acid fiber,  paper  mixed  with  8% poly-lactic  acid  fiber  and  paper  mixed  with  10%  poly-lactic  acid  fiber.  The  paper  is  hot pressed  to  smooth  and  melt  the  poly-lactic  acid  fibers  into  the  paper.  When  the  paper  is  released,  it  is  tested  for  tensile  strength, breaking  strength,  tear  resistance  and  folding resistance.

The  research  findings  presented  that  :  1) the  mixture  of  poly  (lactic  acid)  mechanical properties.  Normal  paper  is  the  most  valuable. Tests  of  tear  strength  at  309  Nm  and  test  of fracture  resistance  at  3,139  times  and  2)  the  10%  polyolefin blend will yield the highest value.  The  tensile  strength  testing  at  20.08 Newton  per  square  mm.  The  resistance  test measures  at  1.225  kilograms  per  square centimeter  and  water  reflection  testing  is  4.623  minute.