Experimental Analysis of Useful Manufacturing Materials Embedded in Agricultural Wastes for Paper Industry Applications

In this study, two agricultural wastes, namely, coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) fruit fibres and palm fruit (Elaeis guineensis) seed hairs, were used and were, respectively, obtained from Uyo and Oron Local Government Areas, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, for pulp and paper manufacturing. The samples were washed with distilled water, air-dried for 2 days, and then conveyed to the Chemistry Laboratory, University of Uyo, for further analysis. Thereafter, an experimental analysis as per water and alkaline solubility was carried out, together with physical property classification including cellulose and hemicellulose content, and fibre characteristics comprising fibre length, fibre diameter, lumen width, cell wall thickness, runnel ratio, and flexibility coefficient were carried out. The results obtained generally and specifically for cellulose content (75% and 87%, respectively, for the aforementioned test samples), flexibility coefficient (50% for both), and Runkel ratio (0.5 for both), which are the most important paper properties and were within standard range, showed that the two agricultural wastes had satisfactory fibre characteristics for pulp and paper production and other several manufacturing applications.