Extraction, Grading and Utilization of Fibre from Banana (Musa sapientum) Pseudo-stem

Abstract

Natural fibres, often referred to as vegetable fibres, are extracted from plants and are classified into three categories, depending on the part of the plant they are extracted from. Fruit fibres are extracted from the fruits of the plant, they are light and hairy, and allow the wind to carry the seeds. Bast fibres are found in the stems of the plant providing the plant its strength. Usually they run across the entire length of the stem and are therefore very long. Fibres extracted from the leaves are rough and sturdy and form part of the plant's transportation system, they are called leaf fibres. Banana (Musa sapientum) is a popular fruit crop and grown extensively in India. In fact, India is the leading producer of banana. After harvest of banana fruits, huge quantity of biomass residues (60 t ha^-1 - 80 t ha^-1) is left over as waste that constitutes pseudo stem, leaves, sucker etc. Among these waste components, there exists a vast potential of extracting fibres from the banana pseudo stem.