Pulping and bleaching potential of banana pseudo stem, banana leaf and banana peduncle

The chemical, morphological and anatomical characteristics of banana pseudo stem, banana leaf (midrib) and banana peduncle were determined. Banana wastes were characterized with good amount of α-cellulose (40–45%), moderate amount of lignin (20–24%) and medium to long fiber length (1.22–1.92 mm). Alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation (ANO) showed that the main lignin unit of banana stem and leaf was p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and that of banana peduncle was syringaldehyde. The yield of ANO was very low (17–24%). Soda-anthraquinone (AQ) and formic acid/peroxyformic (FA/PFA) acid pulping processes of these banana wastes were evaluated. In soda-AQ process, pulping at 20% alkali charge, pulp yields were 30.0%, 34.55% and 39.12%, for banana stem, leaf and peduncle, respectively, with kappa number below 20. Higher pulp yield was found in FA/PFA process than soda-AQ process due to very high ash content in the samples. The banana waste pulps showed excellent papermaking properties.