Paper Produced From Malunggay Bark

Abstract MoringaOleifera, commonly known as malunggay, is a very beneficial plant that naturally grows in the Philippines. The plant has been known as an excellent source of vital nutrients required by our body for proper nutrition. Several researches conducted have revealed too that the bark of malunggay is an excellent source of wood pulp necessary in the production of paper. The aim of this project is to develop handmade paper using malunggay bark as an essential ingredient. Trees used in commercial paper production may be decreased by using malunggay bark as an alternative. The materials needed in the production of handmade malunggay paper include dried malunggay bark, caustic soda and chlorine. The dried malunggay barks are boiled in water containing caustic soda for three hours. Then, the barks are pounded until wood pulp is produced. The produced wood pulp is then bleached using chlorine and then washed with water to remove the chemicals. Finally, the wood pulp is then placed in a mold and deckle for drying. The finished product was evaluated by means of asking some respondents to rate the strength and texture of the finished product.

Background of the Study Paper is one of the things with utmost importance in our everyday life. It is produced by
pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or certain grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets. People primarily use paper for writing. It may also be used as bag,

wrapper or container. Paper, being a part of ones life, may find its way as a toilet paper or as a sanitary material to clean ourselves. Commercially produced paper requires the lives of thousands of trees being cut-down from forest. The practice of cutting down trees for paper production has been blamed in most parts of the world as the cause of global warming. The pulp obtained from trees is the primary ingredient in paper production. The pulp is obtained from the tree through a series of mechanical and chemical processes. Commercially produced paper also contains chemicals that preserve the lifespan of paper; however these chemicals are harmful to the environment. The utilization of alternative sources of wood pulp has been the center of research in paper production for a long time. Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) or horseradish tree, being a perennial softwood tree with timber of low quality, is used as fiber source in the production of paper. It has been proven that fiber obtained from soft wood trees is the best to use since the fiber can be easily broken down during the pulping process.

Significance of the Study This project aims to develop handmade paper using malunggay bark. The project may help the country to decrease the number of trees being cut-down to become paper. Since the bark of malunggay is considered as a waste material, the project can reduce the garbage in the community. Students may also learn the value of recycling and craft making from this project. The project calls for the use of natural products that does not give any harmful effects into the environment. From this sense, the project may help prevent the destruction of our home planet.

Statement of the Problem In this study, the researches aimed to answer the following questions: 1. Is it possible to recycle malunggay bark as paper? 2. Is the handmade paper produced from malunggay bark strong enough? This study focuses on the development of handmade paper using malunggay bark. This study also focuses on how the paper can be made strong enough to suit a certain purpose.

Delimitation/Limitation of the Study The project centers on the use of malunggay bark as an ingredient for paper production. Only sun dried malunggay barks are used in the production. Materials used for the production are primarily simple and can be found at home. For evaluation, the team also served as the respondents to evaluate the strength/durability of the produced paper. No comparison has been done in this research between the commercially available paper and the handmade malunggay paper.

Definition of Terms The following terms are frequently used in our research. These terms are defined according to their use in this research. Paper - A material made of cellulose pulp, derived mainly from wood, rags, and certain grasses, processed into flexible sheets or rolls by deposit from an aqueous suspension, and used chiefly for writing, printing, drawing, wrapping, and covering walls. Bark - The tough outer covering of the woody stems and roots of trees, shrubs, and other woody plants. It includes all tissues outside the vascular cambium. Pulp - Lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops or waste paper Lignin - Three-dimensional, natural phenolic resin that binds fibers together in wood Debarking The process of removing bark from wood Bleaching The process of whitening by chemicals or by exposure to sun and air, commonly applied to textiles, paper pulp, wheat flour, petroleum products, oils and fats, straw, hair, feathers, and wood.

Review of Related Literatures Papermaking is known to have been traced back to China about 105 CE, when Cai Lun, an official attached to the Imperial court during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), created a sheet of paper using mulberry and other bust fibers along with fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste. However a recent archaeological discovery has been reported from Gansu province of paper with legible Chinese writings on it dating from 8 BCE, while paper had been used in China for wrapping and padding since the 2nd century BCE. Paper used as a writing medium became widespread by the 3rd century, and by the 6th century toilet paper was starting to be used in China as well. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) paper was folded and sewn into square bags to preserve the flavor of tea, while the later Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) was the first government on Earth to issue paper-printed money. In the 8th century, paper spread to the Islamic world, where the rudimentary and laborious process of papermaking was refined and machinery was designed for bulk manufacturing of paper. Production began in Baghdad under the supervision of the Grand Vizier Ja'far ibn Yahya. They invented a method to make a thicker sheet of paper. This helped transform papermaking from an art into a major industry. The earliest use of water-powered mills in paper production, specifically the use of pulp mills for preparing the pulp for papermaking, dates back to Samarkand in the 8th century. The earliest references to paper mills also come from the medieval Islamic world, where they were first noted in the 9th century by Arabic geographers in Damascus. Papermaking was diffused across the Islamic world, from where it was diffused further west into Europe. Paper is recorded as being manufactured in Italy by 1220 and Germany by 1400, just about the time when the woodcut printmaking technique was transferred from fabric to paper in the old master print and popular prints. Modern papermaking began in the early 19th century in Europe with the development of

the Fourdrinier machine, which produces a continuous roll of paper rather than individual sheets. These machines have become very large, up to 500 feet in length, producing a sheet 400 inches wide, and operating at speeds of over 60 mph. In 1844, both Canadian inventor Charles Fenerty and German inventor F.G. Keller had invented the machine and process for pulping wood for the use in papermaking. This would end the nearly 2000-year use of pulped rags and start a new era for the production of newsprint and eventually almost all paper out of pulped wood