Key Engineering Materials Submitted: 2023-04-17

ISSN: 1662-9795, Vol. 955, pp 171-177 Revised: 2023-06-25

doi:10.4028/p-HIj8iO Accepted: 2023-07-06
© 2023 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland Online: 2023-09-27

Extraction and Characterization of Cellulosic Fiber from Banana,

Sugarcane, and Napier Grass
Showna Lee T. Sales1,2,a*, Virgilio Abellana1,b, Camila Flor Y. Lobarbio1,c
Ian Christopher Dano2,d , Richard P. Balbutin Jr.2,e
Doctor of Engineering, School of Engineering
1

University of San Carlos, Talamban, Cebu City 6000, Philippines

2
Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering Education, University of Mindanao, Davao
City 8000, Philippines
a
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
d
[email protected], [email protected]

Keywords: Natural Fibers, Physical Characterization, Mechanical Characterization, Chemical

Characterization, Dew Extractor Machine, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)

Abstract. Cellulosic fibers are one of the trend studies being conducted from the recent research due
to their cost-effectiveness and abundance as biomass waste products from different plantations. The
study aims to fabricate a dew extractor machine and analyze and characterize fibers based on their
physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The machine achieved the required torque, which is
370.645 N.m, and a speed of 28.82 rpm for the initial process for the sources of fiber by using a chain
drive. Among the three fibers, the banana shows greater tensile strength with 221.225 MPa - 418.59
7MPa for untreated and 191.376 MPa – 715.428 MPa for treated. Napier has the smallest value of
tensile strength with 77.944 MPa – 146.731 MPa for untreated and 76.048 MPa – 287.689 MPa for
treated. The chemical properties of the fibers were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared
Spectroscopy shows all three fibers have a similar single-, triple- and double-bond, namely a
secondary aliphatic alcohol, alkene, and a non-conjugated alkene functional group. It can be
concluded that treated fibers can withstand more stress, stretch even more, and therefore are more
elastic than untreated fibers.

Introduction
Cellulosic Fibers are materials obtained from natural resources such as banana plants, kenaf,
Napier, sisal, and other plants. Mainly, these fibers are used in textiles, concretes, and composites.
Due to its characteristics that are beyond synthetic fibers (i.e., minimal cost, lightweight, eco-friendly,
renewability, recyclability, and biodegradability), a variety of industries use this, including aerospace,
construction, defense, and automobiles. Moreover, cellulosic fibers have higher yields, cheaper
processing costs, and lower density than synthetic fibers [1]-[4].
The fibers can be extracted in a variety of ways depending on the plant's component sensitivity to
degradation and the amount of fibrous material removed. The most common natural fiber extraction
processes are dew and water retting [3]–[6], alkali extraction [7]–[9], and mechanical extraction [6]
employed by scraping devices [10]. Of which, the most commonly used are dew and water retting in
terms of yield.
Before utilizing the fibers for industrial use, it is often treated with Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) to
account for their low thermal stability, hydrophilic nature as well as low reactivity with thermoplastic
and thermosetting plastic [11]. [8] presents a study that utilizes one such treatment wherein the
cellulosic fibers extracted from the stem of Catharanthus roseus (rose periwinkle) undergo alkali
treatment. The treatment enhanced the fibers' tensile strength, crystalline index, and surface
roughness, as well as increased the fiber's thermal stability and wettability in the liquid state. As such,
the proponents deemed the alkali-treated fibers fit for industrial use, specifically in developing
lightweight composites [2],[8].

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172 Advances in Metalworking and Green Building Materials

Among the number of sources of natural fibers, the most common sources are bananas, sugarcanes,
and Napier grass plants [12], [13]. This is primarily due to many countries, including the Philippines,
having specific plantations dedicated to generating banana and sugarcane products, as well as an
abundance in Napier grass growth [14]. These plantations, in turn, produce a lot of biomass waste,
such as the pseudo stem of banana, sugarcane, and Napier grass, all of which are found to be good
sources of natural fibers [14], [15].
Hence, this paper aims to generally discuss the extraction and characterization of fibers, namely
from the pseudo stem of the banana plant, sugarcane, and Napier grass. Specifically, it aims to: (1)
fabricate a portable dew extractor machine and (2) analyze and characterize fibers based on their
physical and mechanical properties.
The purpose of this paper was to create a database for future research in terms of characterizing
the fibers presented. This will likewise serve as a basis of data when analyzing the aforementioned
fibers in the reinforcement of building materials such as concrete and composites.

Materials and Methods

The different sources of fibers used in the study were from the Musa balbisiana (Cardava banana)
pseudo-stem, which is growing in a nursery stage, 93's-A variety of Saccharum officinarum
(sugarcane), and Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass); all of which were abundant in the
Philippines.
Dew Extractor Machine. The developed dew extractor machine designed in this study was based on
the system and calculations of [16] study about a small-scale sugarcane juice extractor. The machine
is composed of four sections which are: feeding and crushing sections, power section, torque and
speed reduction section, and frame section. The power section consists of an AC motor which acts as
the main power transmitter in the whole system of the machine. All of the components that are
mounted and make up the machine system are supported by the frame section.
In order to accommodate the varying sizes of sugarcane and Napier grass, the maximum size of
the roller was determined in the reference [17]. The weight of the crushing roller was estimated as a
reference from [18]. The density of the crushing roller material is equal to 7840 kg/m3, and the
acceleration due to gravity is equal to 9.81 m/s2. The force and torque of the crushing roller were
determined in reference [16]. Utilization, calculation, and analysis were considered with reference to
[20] in order to obtain the necessary power and speed to operate the machine's entire system.
Fiber Testing. Among the three sources of fibers, two of them (Napier grass and sugarcane) are
required to undergo a pressing process through the developed dew extractor machine. This was done
to ensure that the said sources did not damage the decorticator machine. The fibers were exposed to
sunlight to prevent spoilage [22]. The samples were grouped into two: the treated and untreated
groups, forming six groups in total. The untreated group was subjected to various tests without any
additional alterations to the fiber. On the other hand, the treated groups were subjected to an alkaline
treatment using a NaOH solution of 4.5% concentration before testing to increase the fiber's strength,
stiffness, and surface roughness [23].
To obtain the linear density of fibers, a single strand was taken from each of the six test groups.
The mass and diameter of each strand were measured in order to get the linear density (tex), mass
density (ρ), and volume of each fiber. The length of the fiber was kept at 8cm for all observations.
Following ASTM D3822/D3822M-14 or the Standard Method for Tensile Properties of Single
Tensile Fibers, a random sampling of fibers was obtained from each of the six groups. The samples
were taped with only a 1 cm gap left in between. This process was repeated to over 20 strands of fiber
from each of the six groups. Digital compression and tensile machine (UE1501, 1000N, Laryee
Instruments Co.) was used with a constant rate of extension of 1.00 mm/min to calculate the breaking
force and maximum elongation of each fiber strands. Tensile stress (σ) was calculated by dividing
the load applied by the fiber’s cross sectional area, and the calculation for strain (ε) can be obtained
by comparing the original unstressed length and the subsequent elongation upon failure. Lastly,
Young's modulus (E) was calculated by getting the ratio of tensile stress (σ) to tensile strain (ε).
 Key Engineering Materials Vol. 955 173

Moreover, the untreated samples of the three fibers were subjected to FTIR analysis using
SHIMADZU 8400 machine.

Results and Discussions

Fabricated Dew Extractor Machine. Following the final design presented in this paper, the
proponents were able to fabricate a dew-extracting machine. The machine used a sprocket instead of
gears considering the availability and cost-effectiveness of the materials. During the fabrication
adjustment of the drafted design was encountered, limits and calculations were maximized nor
minimized to obtain a functional and economically fabricated machine. Figure 1 shows the actual
dew extractor machine.

Fig. 1 Fabricated Dew Extractor Machine

The dew extractor machine is made up of various parts, including a 1.5 horsepower AC motor, a
chain sprocket with 13 and 51 teeth, a roller, a chain, shafting, pillow blocks, bolts, nuts, and washers.
The 1740 rpm AC motor has an aluminum winding and runs on 220V, 60 Hz. The number of teeth
determines the type of sprockets; the idler sprocket has 16 teeth, while the motor and shafting
sprockets have 13 teeth. To achieve high torque, the 13 teeth are always paired with 51 teeth. For the
roller to rotate into a different motion, the idler sprocket is used. The frame was constructed using a
mild steel 1" by 1" angle bar and 2 mm plain sheet for its high impact strength, toughness, and
weldability. The roller is constructed of mild steel schedule 40, which can handle more compressive
stress. The driven shafts have 443.529 rpm and 113.0564 rpm and the maximum torque of 24.0827
N.m and 94.4782 N.m, respectively. The actual speed of the crushing rollers is 28.82 rpm with a
370.7 N.m maximum torque which is enough to press and extract the dew of the sugarcane and Napier
grass.

Fiber Property Characterization. This section covers the findings of the three fibers, which were
divided into treated and untreated groups based on their physical, mechanical, and chemical
characteristics.
Physical Property Characterization. The physical properties of each fiber sample, such as the
diameter, linear density, and density, are summarized in Table 1 for the untreated group and Table 2
for the treated group, respectively.
As presented in Table 1, USF shows the largest values for diameter, with values ranging from
0.227mm to 0.393mm. As for the fiber's linear density, USF also has the largest magnitude with
values ranging from 0.0570g/m to 0.1236g/m, followed by UNF having a range of 0.0096g/m to
0.0380g/m and UBF with a range of 0.0123g/m to 0.0191g/m the smallest. Lastly, for the density of
the fibers, USF has the biggest values with ranges from 1.0013g/cm3 to 1.5189g/cm3, and UNF is in
the smallest with a range of 0.8559g/cm3 to 1.3879g/cm3.
174 Advances in Metalworking and Green Building Materials

Table 1 Physical properties of untreated natural fibers

Natural Fiber Diameter (mm) Linear density (g/m) Density, (g/cm3)
Untreated Banana Fiber 0.109 - 0.151 0.0123-0.0191 0.9230-1.3440
(UBF)
Untreated Napier Fiber 0.110-0.210 0.0096-0.0380 0.8559-1.3879
(UNF)
Untreated Sugarcane 0.227-0.393 0.0570-0.1236 1.0013-1.5189
Fiber (USF)

Table 2 Physical properties of treated natural fibers

Natural Fiber Diameter (mm) Linear density (g/m) Density, (g/cm3)
Treated Banana Fiber 0.067-0.093 0.0798-0.0802 2.4176-3.6270
(TBF)
Treated Napier Fiber 0.206-0.262 0.0467-0.0736 1.1268-1.6853
(TNF)
Treated Sugarcane 0.232-0.323 0.0539-0.1097 1.0648-1.6074
Fiber (TSF)

Table 2 shows that TSF has the largest diameter and linear density ranging from 0.232mm to
0.323mm and 0.0570g/m to 0.1236g/m, respectively. TBF has the biggest mass density among all
three fibers with a value of 2.4176g/cm3 to 3.6270 g/cm3.
The result shows that sugarcane fibers have the largest diameter and linear density in both treated
and untreated samples, while banana fibers have the smallest values in both treated and untreated
samples. In terms of raw density, TBF showed the greatest value, while UBF showed the smallest.
As for the differences between the treated and untreated samples, an effective change can be observed
in the density of the fibers. This is especially evident in the banana fibers, which had the greatest
change from a maximum density of 1.3440g/cm3 while untreated to a maximum density of
3.6270g/cm3 after treatment. Banana fiber is significantly impacted by treatment, which reduces its
diameter. After treatment, the linear density and density of all fibers increase. The mass of the fiber
is considerably affected when the fiber's diameter decreases. As a result, the increase of linear density
and density will decrease the mass of the fibers as the length remains constant. This indicates that the
fibers reduced their possible tensile strength.
Mechanical Property Characterization. The mechanical properties of both untreated and treated
groups of fiber, such as its single tensile stress, elongation, and Young's modulus were summarized
in Table 3 and Table 4 respectively.
Table 3 Mechanical properties of untreated natural fibers
Natural Fiber Single tensile (MPa) Elongation (mm) Young’s modulus
(GPa)
Untreated Banana 221.225 - 418.597 0.4312 - 1.0550 2.799 - 7.123
Fiber (UBF)
Untreated Napier 77.944 - 146.731 0.3776 - 1.0006 1.076 - 3.315
Fiber (UNF)
Untreated Sugarcane 121.524 - 250.921 0.5733 - 1.0235 1.686 - 4.609
Fiber (USF)
Among the untreated fiber groups, as shown in table 3, UBF can withstand the most load at around
221.225MPa up to 418.597MPa. This was followed by the USF with 121.524MPa to 250.921MPa,
and lastly, the UNF, which can only withstand 77.944MPa up to 146.731MPa before breaking. In
terms of elongation, all three fibers stretched similarly up to a certain point before breaking. UBF has
 Key Engineering Materials Vol. 955 175

the greatest elongation ranging from 0.4312mm to 1.0550mm. In terms of the modulus of elasticity,
UBF had the greatest magnitude with a range of 2.799GPa to 7.123GPa.
Table 4 Mechanical properties of treated natural fibers
Natural Fiber Single tensile (MPa) Elongation(mm) Young’s modulus
(GPa)
Treated Banana Fiber 191.376 - 715.428 0.3723 - 0.6589 3.868 - 14.249
(TBF)
Treated Napier Fiber 76.048 - 287.689 0.5081 - 1.2111 1.035 - 3.459
(TNF)
Treated Sugarcane 83.423-314.633 0.6756 - 1.5452 0.898 - 3.530
Fiber (TSF)
As for the treated sample group, presented in table 4, TBF can withstand the most load among the
three at around 191.376MPa up to 715.428MPa. For elongation, unlike the untreated samples, there
was a significant difference between the elongation capacity of the three fibers. TSF had the greatest
elongation, followed by TNF and TBF to be last in order. Lastly, in terms of the modulus of elasticity,
TBF had the most significant values with a range of 3.868GPa to 14.249GPa.
Of the three fibers, the treated fiber showed the highest change in single tensile strength, which is
a favorable sign for application. Furthermore, banana fiber's Young's modulus increases noticeably
after being treated with sodium hydroxide [24], whereas Napier and sugarcane fiber's Young's
modulus decreases. In addition, sugarcane and Napier both had a low young’s modulus, which is a
sign of brittle fiber. The banana, on the other hand, has the greatest tensile and young's modulus value
and is, therefore, the most elastic to them.
Chemical Property Characterization. A summary of the analysis of the chemical properties of the
banana, napier grass and sugarcane fibers from the Fourier Transform Infrared analysis results was
shown below.

Fig. 2 FTIR spectra of Banana, Napier Grass and Sugarcane fiber

176 Advances in Metalworking and Green Building Materials

As presented in Figure 2, all fibers show similar characteristics in terms of the absorption of the
infrared spectrum. In terms of ts functional groups, all three fibers show a similar single-, triple- and
double-bond, namely a secondary aliphatic alcohol (O-H), alkene (C-H), and a nonconjugated alkene
functional group, with peak values of 3300-3500 cm-1, respectively. As for the fingerprint region,
both Napier and sugarcane fibers contain the primary aliphatic alcohol and distributed alkene
(R’HC=CHR), while the banana fibers only have the primary aliphatic alcohol at their fingerprint.

Conclusion
In this study, a design for a machine that extracts dew from sugarcane and Napier grass was
developed and fabricated. Based on the results, the machine was found to be functional, economical,
and efficient in doing its intended purpose. In terms of fiber testing, the results showed that treating
the fibers leads to significant changes to their physical and mechanical properties. In terms of physical
changes, the diameter of the fiber often reduces while its mass stays almost the same. On the other
hand, the density of the fiber increases. As for the mechanical properties, it can be concluded that
treated fibers can withstand more stress, stretch even more, and therefore is more elastic compared to
the untreated fibers.
As for the various sources of fibers, in terms of their chemical composition, all three fibers have
the same composition with a small exception on the fingerprint region of the banana fibers as it only
has one in contrast to the others, which had two. Among the three fibers, the results showed that the
banana fiber has significant great changes in all aspects. It increases its magnitude for tensile, young’s
modulus, density, and linear density. In contrast, it decreases the diameter and mass of the fiber while
the length remains constant. Furthermore, the banana fibers are also the most elastic among the three
despite having the smallest diameter. The sugarcane comes second, and the Napier grass is found to
be the least elastic. As such, it can be concluded that banana fibers are a viable additive in concrete
strengthening.

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