Title of Invention: AN ECO-FRIENDLY MAT AND A METHOD

FOR MAKING

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a mat/wrapping materials/ paper that is eco-friendly and its method for making.

Background Art

[2] Paper has been used as packaging material before the invention of plastics.

Nowadays, more than 85% of papers produced are used in packaging. Utilization of paper in packaging has some effect on the environment. This is because the conventional method of making paper is not environmentally friendly since many chemicals are used during the process of making the paper, for example to treat the wood fibres, which is in the form of pulp, to get papers of acceptable properties, like in US 8,268,130 which relates to a paper that is formed of a fiber-based source material and is applicable as printing paper. According to the invention, the surface of the paper is surface-treated by arranging sufficient density on the surface, such that a mixture is arranged at least on one side of the surface of the paper for forming a surface layer, which mixture comprises pigments in an amount of 75-95% by weight of the dry weight and bonding agent in an amount of 5-25% by weight of the dry weight, and the porosity of the surface layer of the paper is less than 0.07 ml/g as defined by mercury porosimeter process. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for making paper.

[3] These chemicals are discharged together with wastewater during papermaking and they contribute to environmental pollution. Therefore, paper is not a green product even though it is biodegradable.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

Summary of The Invention

[4] According to an aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to a method for making an eco-friendly mat comprising: providing banana stem (101); peeling the banana stem to obtain individual banana stem sheaths (103); scoring the inner surface of the banana stem sheaths to prevent the stem sheaths from breaking during scraping (105); scraping the inner surface of the stem sheaths to form banana stem sheets (107); soaking the banana stem sheets in water at room temperature for at least one hour to mature the banana stem sheets (109); forming a wet mat assembly (1 1 1); forming a cold press unit of the mat assembly (113); cold-pressing the cold press unit of the mat assembly at room temperature and pressure range of 100-250 kg/ cm ² (1 15); removing the cold press unit of the mat assembly from the cold-pressing procedure when water stopped dripping from the cold press unit (117); forming hot press unit of the mat assembly (119); hot-pressing the hot press unit at range of 50-80 ° C and a pressure range of 100-250 kg/cm ² for one minute (121); brushing the hot press unit of the mat assembly with a solution of one part of glycerol in three parts of water (123); conducting final hot-pressing (125); removing the mat assembly from the final hot-pressing procedure (127); and cooling the mat assembly (129).

The above provision is advantageous as the eco-friendly mat produced from the banana pseudostem is a green material because the process of making this material is green, since no chemicals are used, and the raw materials (banana stem) are renewable. The banana stem sheets are glued together using the banana stem sap and no water is used in the process of making them. The banana stem is obtained from banana plantation which is sustainable. The process of making banana pseudostem eco- friendly mat is faster and cheaper than the process of making paper. Banana pseudostem eco-friendly mat is stronger than paper and also biodegradable.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates the flowchart of the method for making an eco-friendly mat of the present invention.

Detailed Description of The Preferred Embodiment

Referring to Figure 1, generally, the present invention relates to a method for making an eco-friendly mat comprising: providing banana stem (101); peeling the banana stem to obtain individual banana stem sheaths (103); scoring the inner surface of the banana stem sheaths to prevent the stem sheaths from breaking during scraping (105); scraping the inner surface of the stem sheaths to form banana stem sheets (107); soaking the banana stem sheets in water at room temperature for at least one hour to mature the banana stem sheets ( 109); forming a wet mat assembly (1 1 1); forming a cold press unit of the mat assembly (1 13); cold-pressing the cold press unit of the mat assembly at room temperature and pressure range of 100-250 kg/cm ² (1 15); removing the cold press unit of the mat assembly from the cold-pressing procedure when water stopped dripping from the cold press unit (1 17); forming hot press unit of the mat assembly (119); hot-pressing the hot press unit at range 50-80 ° C and a pressure range of 100-250 kg/cm ² for one minute (121); brushing the hot press unit of the mat assembly with a solution of one part of glycerol in three parts of water (123);

conducting final hot-pressing (125); removing the mat assembly from the final hot- pressing procedure (127); and cooling the mat assembly (129).

Banana pseudostem or normally called stem is cut into a suitable length (101) and peeled to separate the individual stem sheaths (103). The inside surfaces of the stem sheaths are scored using a scoring tool (105). The scoring is done to prevent the stem sheaths from breaking during the scraping stage. Then the scored inner surfaces of the banana stem sheaths are scraped, using a scraper, to form banana stem sheets (107). The amount of the inside surface removed during scraping would determine the thickness of the mat produced.

The banana stem sheets are matured by soaking in water, at room temperature, for at least one hour (109). Different properties of the mat of the present invention could be produced by changing the maturation conditions (soaking temperature and time). After soaking, the matured banana stem sheets are arranged side by side in two layers, with the second layer arranged at right angles to the first layer and the scraped sides of the layers facing each other, to form a wet mat assembly (1 1 1). The wet mat assembly is then sandwiched between two plastic screens, of aperture size of 0.28 mm to form the cold press unit (113). Each cold press unit is placed between the platens of a cold press machine and pressed at room temperature and pressure range of 100-250 kg/cm ² (1 15) . The cold press unit is removed from the cold press when the water stopped dripping from the unit (117).

The pressed cold press unit is then sandwiched between two pieces of cotton felts (1 19a). This assembly, called the hot press unit, is then placed in the hot press and pressed at range of 60-80 ° C and a pressure range of 100-250 kg/cm ² for one minute (121). After that the hot press unit is taken out of the hot press, and the cotton felts are replaced with the new dry cotton felts and pressed again in the hot press with the same pressing conditions. The process is repeated until the hot press unit is completely dry, normally after pressing for six times. Apparatus for pressing and drying scraped sheaths of banana stems at the same time comprising: calendaring machine, or cold press, or rollers.

To produce soft mat, both surfaces of the hot press unit (top and bottom) are brushed with a solution of one part of glycerol in three parts of water (123) before the final pressing (125). After that it is removed from the hot press (127) and allowed to cool at room temperature (129). Sap is used as adhesive to stick all the features of the mat together.

The mat of the present invention could also be laminated with other materials such as aluminium foil, pulped fibres, fabric, paper board, natural fibres from other plants and agricultural wastes other than banana to produce laminated mat for making many varieties of products. To produce the laminated mat, the lamination is done during the wet mat assembly stage (1 11). At this stage, the wet mat assembly is produced by arranging the matured banana stem sheets on the chosen laminating materials instead on another layer of banana stem sheets (201a). The resulting laminated wet mat assembly is then processed using the same conditions as that used to produce the previous mat.

Thin and translucent mat could also be produced from banana stem sheaths. The process of making the thin and translucent mat is still the same. The only difference is that, during the wet mat assembly stage (11 1), the inner surfaces of the banana stem leaf sheaths are not scraped but cut, by using a knife, into thin films. The thin films are then processed using the same conditions as for making AMMIBA EcoMat.

Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiment, it is to be understood that the embodiment is merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiment that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.