IJARR, 6(6), 2021; 30-36

International Journal of Advanced Research and Review

www.ijarr.in

DEVELOPING ECO-FRIENDLY PAPER BOARD USING CORNHUSK

Elakiya sree.T1*, Monisha.S2*, Shanmathi.J3*, Miruthubashini.T4*
1,2,3,
Department of Printing Technology, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for
Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
4*
Assistant Professor, Department of Printing Technology, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher
Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
ABSTRACT
This Work aims to create an eco-friendly paper board from corn husk due to its availability of
cornhusk in our country and easy accessibility. Cornhusk is transformed into a paper board by
mechanical pulping and paper making process. The paper board made from corn husk is tested
for burst strength and moisture absorption properties. These boards are then used as base
material to create eco-friendly commercial handcraft products. As these products can be
marketed and sold, they may also start a home-based small-scale business and promote
entrepreneurship. Using cornhusk as the base material in product making may also reduce the
initial investment of a business.
Keywords: Cornhusk, Paper board, Papermaking, Pulping process, Mechanical pulping,
Cornhusk paper

I. INTRODUCTION
Eco-friendly commercial product manufacturing has been widely developed and has become a
trend in the world. Deforestation of trees for paper production presents multiple societal and
environmental problems such as loss of biodiversity, destruction of forest-based societies,
erosion, flooding, and climate change in the world. These immediate and long-term
consequences of global deforestation are almost certain to jeopardize life on Earth. With the
gradual deepening of the world's environmental protection awareness, we must look for new
resources and adopting a new method to make the commercial products utterly free from the
growing shortage of raw wood pulp resources.

Natural fibers such as straw, hemp, sugarcane bagasse, and jute have been well recognized as
suitable replacements for wood fiber used for paper making. Wood and corn husk are similar
which both of them are natural fibers. However, corn husk is categorized as natural waste
because a very minimum corn husk is introduced. The concept of “Waste to Wealth” is
introduced in this Work. Waste to Wealth in this context means that converting waste will be
discarded and burned into a product that can benefit the environment and society. This Work
aims to develop an eco-friendly alternative of producing paper board and producing handmade
crafts from corn husks (as base material) – an agricultural waste. The corn husk is transformed
to a paper board by mechanical pulping and paper making process. The paper board will be
transformed into an eco-friendly handcraft which might also be an initiative for starting a
small-scale business.

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II.LITERATURE REVIEW
The danger on wooded area woods and environmental sustainability has brought about
competitive studies into the suitability of numerous agricultural waste substances for pulp and
paper production. The evaluation of fiber morphology of corn husk additionally confirms that it
has short fibers just like numerous hardwoods, whose period is <2 mm. The paper from corn
husk has sizable strength. Low lignin content material has been stated as one of the benefits
inherent within side the use of non-wooden substances for pulp production. Cornhusk consists
of low lignin of about 15%[1].Mechanical pulps are ideally suited to light-weight printing
grades due to their capability to make opaque, low-weight grades at low cost[2].

Paper pattern from 100% corn husk changed into discovered to own the bottom tearing value
(1.22 N/mm)[3]. Starch is generally utilized in paper enterprise and paper coating extensively
to be had and less expensive agricultural uncooked material. In local form, it may be used as a
sizing agent simultaneously after few changes. It may be applied as a coating agent because of
its splendid movie forming ability. Starch may be extracted from numerous plant reasserts such
as corn, potato, tapioca, wheat, and rice.[4]

III. METHODOLOGY
The Work involves the making of cornhusk paper board by using mechanical pulping and paper
making process. The paper board is then used as a base material to develop eco-friendly
handicraft products.

A.BLOCK DIAGRAM

Figure 1: Block diagram of the Paper-making process

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B. MATERIALS REQUIRED

Each stage of the Work required different types of materials. The below table shows the
materials required and quantity for each process.

S.NO PROCESS MATERIALS REQUIRED

1. Paper-making Corn husk-10kg
Sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3)-250g
Starch-450g

2. Coating Corn starch-100g

Water
3. Product making Cornhusk paper board
Foam sheet
Craft paper
Glue gun
Decorative beads
Glass pieces

Table 1: Materials required

C. PRODUCT MAKING

Figure 2: Block diagram of product making

IV. IMPLEMENTATION

A. PULPING PROCESS

First, weigh 100g of corn husk and remove all the dust materials. The corn husk is let dry out in
an open place overnight. After the husks have dried, it is shredded to small pieces. The corn
husk is placed in a slow cooker for 6 to 10 hours. Next, the corn husk is ground in a rolling
stone to some extent. After that, the ground corn husk is made into a pulp using a blender
machine. Next, the pulp is treated with starch to act as a dry strength additive.

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B. PAPER-MAKING PROCESS

The deckle is prepared. The mush is transferred onto the deckle. Dab excess water from the
paper using a sponge. The wet paper is then dried in sunlight and then in the shade to get the
final material. The starch coating is done to enhance the material strength.

C. MATERIAL TESTING

GSM, Burst strength, and Moisture absorption test was done at the company named “South
Indian Corrugated Box Manufacturing Association. The materials were cut into 10 cm *10 cm
dimension, and the testing has proceeded.

D. GSM

The term “GSM” stands for “grams per square meter.” No matter the length or width the paper
becomes, the weight measurement is always taken from the square meter sheet. The gsm of the
samples were found to be from the range of 414 to 837 gsm.

E. BURST STRENGTH

A paper or paperboard property used in packaging measures its resistance to rupturing, defined
as the hydrostatic pressure needed to burst a paperboard sample when applied uniformly across
its side. The increased use of fillers decreases bursting strength, while the increased use of
longer fibers and surface sizing increases a paper's bursting strength. Bursting strength is
measured utilizing a rubber diaphragm that is expanded hydraulically against the paper sample.
A bursting test is also known as a Mullen test or pop test. The result ranges from 3.71 to 5.83.

F. MOISTURE ABSORPTION TEST

The Cobb test determines the amount of water absorbed into the surface by a sized (non-
bibulous) paper, paperboard, and corrugated fiberboard paper or paperboard sample in a set
period, usually 60 or 180 seconds (Cobb60 or Cobb180). Water absorbency is quoted in g/m2.
The water absorbency of a material can have a strong influence on printability and the setting
rate of water-based adhesives. The moisture absorption test ranges from 2.7% to 4.10%.

In Table 5,

 The testing sample size = 10*10 cm

 The proportions are selected based on the trial and error method.
 The accepted values are:
Burst strength – 3.05 to 6.6 kg/cm2
Moisture content – 4% to 6%

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Burst Moisture
Sample GSM
Proportion strength absorption Result
Number (g/m2)
(kg/cm2) (%)
2litre - Corn Accepted
1 husk pulp 451 5.83 4.10% (B.S > 3.05
M.A>4%)
1.5litre - Corn Non-Accepted
2 husk pulp 336 3.0 3.40% (B.S < 3.05
M.A< 4%)
3litre- Corn Not Accepted
3 husk pulp 534 2.34 3.20% (B.S < 3.05
M.A< 4%)
500 ml starch +
Not Accepted
2litre corn husk
4 506 4.33 2.20% (B.S > 3.05
pulp
M.A< 4%)

500 ml starch
+1litre corn Not Accepted
5 husk pulp 398 2.89 3.40% (B.S< 3.05
M.A< 4%)

500 ml starch
Accepted
+3litre corn
6 561 3.71 3.98% (B.S > 3.05
husk pulp
M.A< 4%)

1litre starch + Accepted

7 2litre pulp 837 5.15 4.25% (B.S > 3.05
M.A>4%)
1litre starch + Accepted
8 ¾litre pulp 414 3.28 5.01% (B.S > 3.05
M.A>4%)
750 ml starch + Accepted
9 2litre pulp 721 3.92 3.94% (B.S > 3.05
M.A>4%)
250 ml starch
Accepted
and
10 528 3.48 (B.S > 3.05
1litre pulp 5.34
M.A>4%)
500 ml corn
Not Accepted
husk pulp -500
11 775 2.41 2.20% (B.S < 3.05
ml of recycled
M.A< 4%)
paper
300ml Not Accepted
12 cornhusk pulp 659 4.21 2.50% (B.S > 3.05
M.A< 4%)

Table 2: Test results of samples

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 The New samples have been created in the proportion of the accepted samples from
 Phase-1.
 The New samples have been segregated into two types:
 Coated sample (corn starch coating)
 Uncoated Sample
The readings were taken for both types of samples and tabulated, respectively.

Before coating

Table 5 shows the result of testing the samples before coating them with corn starch.

S. No Burst strength GSM Burst factor Cobb value Moisture

content
1 5.57 376 14.81 HALF 8.3%

2 4.64 631 7.35 HALF 8.2%

3 4.44 296 15 FULL 8.1%

4 4.05 464 8.73 NIL 6%

5 3.6 278 12.95 NIL 8.2%

Table 3: Test results of samples before coating

After coating

Table 6 shows the result of testing the samples after coating with corn starch.

S. No Burst strength GSM Burst Cobb value Moisture

factor content
1 6.17 406 15.2 HALF 10.6%

2 7.93 648 12.83 HALF 9.8%

3 3.96 329 9.6 NIL (Good) 10.1%

4 5.25 572 9.17 NIL 9.3%

5 3.61 337 10.71 NIL (Good) 8.8%

Table 4: Test results of samples after coating

VI. CONCLUSION

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Thus the paperboard is made out of cornhusk and determine its GSM, Burst strength, and
Moisture absorption. Moreover, to make products out of this cornhusk paperboard, such as
handicraft products.

VII. FUTURE WORK

On further work, the surface finishing of the paperboard can be improved, and various effective
testing can be done with various compositions. The color of the paper board can be enhanced
by adding natural colorants.

VIII. REFERENCES
[1] Taiwo, K. Fagbemigun, O.D. Fagbemi, O. Otitoju, E. Mgbachiuzor, C.C. Igwe, 2014.
"Pulp and paper-making potential of corn husk," International Journal of AgriScience Vol.
4(4): 209-213.
[2]D.MCDonald, K.Miles, R. Amiri, 2004. “The Nature of the Mechanical Pulping Process.
Pulp and paper Canada (105(8): T181-186),
[3] Olajumoke D Fagbemi, Taiwo Stephen Fagbemigun, O. Otitoju, E. Mgbachiuzor and C. C.
Igwe, 2014. "Strength Properties of Paper from Pulp Blend of Kenaf Bark and Corn Husk: A
Preliminary Study." British Journal of Applied Science &Technology 4(28): 4124-4129.
[4] Vibhore Kumar Ratogi, Pieter Samyn, 2015. "Bio-Based Coatings for Paper Applications,"
Coatings vol 5, pp 887-930
[5] Nurul Hidayah Binti Ahmad Rassdi, 2013. Cellulosic-Based Packaging Material from Corn
Husk
[6] Pahkala, K. S, 2001. “Non-wood plants as raw material for pulp and paper,” Academic
Dissertation, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Finland.
[7] Aaker, D. A., Kumar. V. & Day, 2013. G.S. Marketing Research. 8th Edition. Hoboken,
N.J.: Wiley & Sons.
[8] Godwin De Silver, Palash Kumar Kundu 2012.Handicraft Products: Identify the Factors
Affecting the Buying Decision of Customers, Umeå School of Business and Economics.

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