Development and characterization of bio-sheets for production of bags from sugarcane bagasse

Abstract

Use of plastic bags are one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution in Uganda as well as in many other countries. There is increased recognition of the negative effects that plastic waste has on the environment which include humans eating over 40 pounds of plastics in their lifetime, less than 9% of plastics being recycled and one million marine animals being killed by plastic pollution every year. Alternative materials, especially materials derived from natural and renewable sources such as sugarcane bagasse, should be developed to solve this global issue. In this study, the aim was to develop and characterise bio-bags from sugarcane bagasse. To develop bio bags, bio-sheets were developed from sugarcane bagasse at varying conditions of temperatures of 1500C, 1600C and 1700C, with starch content of 2%, 4% and 6% and resin content at 1.25%, 2.5% and 3.75% respectively. The developed bio-sheets were then tested for their strength properties, wetting resistance and water absorption using ASTM and AATCC standard procedures. Optimisation studies were done using response surface methodology at optimised conditions of temperature of 1600C, 3% starch content and 3.75% resin content. The results showed that the bio-sheets at the optimised conditions of temperature 1600C, 3% starch addition and 3.75% resin content had good physical properties with strip strength of 25.32 kgf/cm, tear strength of 0.34 kgf/cm, bursting strength of 2.392 kgfcm-2 , and stiffness of 11 kgf. The bio-sheets also exhibited low water absorption of 156.37% and wetting resistance of ISO 2 which falls within the international standard of 100%-160% and wetting resistance of ISO 3- ISO 5. These properties suggest that the bio-sheets could potentially be used in the development of bio bags for packaging purposes