Utilizing Alkali Pre-Treated Banana Waste in Sustainable Particleboard Manufacturing

In this study


Graphical/Tabular Abstract (Grafik Özet)
In this study, the board production performance of particles obtained from the leaves and stems of the waste banana plant was examined.Alkaline pre-treatment was applied to the particles to examine the effect on usage performance before production./ Bu çalışmada, atık halde bulunan muz bitkisinin yaprak ve gövdelerinden elde edilen yongaların levha üretim performansı incelenmiştir.Yongalara çalışma öncesi kullanım performansı etkisini incelemek için alkali ön işlem uygulanmıştır.

Aim (Amaç):
The aim of this study is primarily to evaluate banana plant wastes that are waste and not used in any way.It is to obtain added value by producing particleboard from waste materials.Additionally, performance differences can be achieved through alkaline pre-treatment application./ Bu çalışmadaki amaç öncelikle atık halde bulunan ve her hangi bir şekilde kullanılmayan muz bitkisi atıklarının değerlendirilmesidir. Atıklardan yongalevha üreterek katkı değer elde etmektir.Ayrıca, alkali ön işlem uygulaması ile de performans farklılıkları oluşturmaktır.

Conclusion (Sonuç):
It reveals the feasibility of using banana waste as an alternative raw material source in particleboard production./ Muz atıklarının yongalevha üretiminde alternatif bir hammaddde kaynağı olarak kullanılmasının uygulanabilirliğini ortaya koymaktadır.In the 21st century, the importance of clean production and sustainability issues has increased.Therefore, there has been greater focus in the particleboard industry on environmental factors such as sustainable forest management practices and recycling processes [8][9][10].Hence, assessing the viability of employing diverse types of agricultural residues in the production of composites, contingent upon the characteristics of the raw materials, holds significant importance.

Makale Bilgisi
Particleboard is a type of board produced naturally or synthetically, wood-based, in different forms.This versatile material finds applications ranging from exterior facades of architectural structures to interior coverings, as well as in furniture and packaging industries [11][12][13][14].
Different methods are used for lignocellulosic materials to increase usability efficiency in particle board production.Alkali pretreatment is one of these methods.Alkali treatment is a commonly employed method to alter the surface characteristics of particles and fibers, thereby augmenting the presence of reactive OH groups in the material.This process facilitates enhanced adhesion between particles and fibers, consequently improving the mechanical properties of composites.Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) serves as a frequently utilized chemical reagent for treating both wooden and nonwooden materials to improve the mechanical properties [15][16][17][18][19][20].
The global banana industry spans over 130 countries, encompassing more than 5 million hectares of plantation and yielding a total production of 96 million tons, as reported by the FAO in 2018.Notably, over 80% of the bananas harvested are designated for local consumption within the respective countries of cultivation.With international trade of approximately $9 million annually, it benefits many developing countries [21][22].Banana fibers, originating as agricultural waste from banana cultivation, are abundantly found in tropical regions worldwide.These fibers are typically categorized as lignocellulosic materials, characterized by helically woven cellulose microfibrils embedded within an amorphous matrix composed of lignin and hemicelluloses [23][24].
Banana plantations worldwide generate substantial amounts of banana waste, including banana pseudostems, which are often left to decompose, releasing significant quantities of methane gas and carbon dioxide.The emissions resulting from burning this waste have a detrimental impact on the environment, potentially exacerbating global warming annually.On average, every ton of banana waste emits half a ton of carbon dioxide per year.Hence, there is a pressing need to explore the potential for converting this waste into a valuable resource by extracting fibers from bananas.Failure to address this issue could lead to a significant disposal problem in the future [25][26][27][28].
This study explores the producing novel boards utilizing waste banana stems and leaves through a straightforward process technology, aiming to assess its effectiveness.For this purpose, collected banana leaves and stems were shredded and turned into particles.Alkaline pre-treatment was applied to the particles with NaOH solutions.The effect of alkali pretreatment application on the physical, mechanical and surface properties of the board was investigated.

Material (Materyal)
Banana waste materials (leaves and stem) were collected from Anamur-Mersin region of Türkiye thrown into the environment as post-harvest waste in the summer of 2023.The collected waste materials were ground in a hammer mill to a size that could pass through 1-3 mm sieves.After grinding, the chips were dried until ready.Then, the resulting particles were spread out and air-dried for a period of 4 weeks.The hardener (Ammonium chloride) and resin (Urea formaldehyde) utilized in the study were procured from Ayteks Chemical Industry Ltd.Denizli/Türkiye.The hardener and resin used in production are products that have standard features and are widely used in the industry [17].
The particles used in the study were stored in NaOH solutions at concentrations of 1%, 3% and 5% (w/v) at room temperature for 24 hours.After treatment, they were thoroughly rinsed with water, kept in a 10% acetic acid solution to neutralize residual NaOH and then rinsed with water again.The rinsed fibers were spread and air dried.

Method (Metot)
Particleboard production was carried out by following the production stages in [17].Compliance with the TS-EN 312 (2012) standard was ensured during sizing and conditioning phases [29].Physical properties of the produced boards were assessed through water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) tests, while mechanical properties were evaluated through internal bond strength (IB), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and modulus of rupture (MOR) tests.Sample preparation and testing procedures adhered to relevant standards, namely TS-EN 319 (1999), TS-EN 310 (1999), and TS-EN 317 (1999) [30][31][32].Surface roughness measurements were performed according to DIN 4768 (1990) standard [33], and water contact angle measurements followed the same methodology as per DIN 4768 (1990) standard [34].Consistently, identical equipment as detailed in [35] was utilized for both surface properties assessments.SPSS® 20.0 for Windows® software was conducted for statistical analysis of the study's results.The data underwent analysis of variance (ANOVA) testing.In instances where the ANOVA test indicated statistical differences, a Duncan test was employed to identify distinct groups (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

RESULTS (BULGULAR)
The physical properties of boards produced from untreated and treated banana particles are summarized in Table 1.Utilizing ANOVA analysis, a statistically significant distinction was observed between the untreated and treated groups concerning the physical properties of the specimens under investigation.Following the application of the Duncan test, four homogeneous clusters emerged within each dataset corresponding to TS-2, TS-24, WA-2, and WA-24.It was noted that the values for WA-2, WA-24, TS-2, and TS-24 increased with the escalation of NaOH solution concentrations at 1%, 3%, and 5% during alkali modification.Research indicates that with higher concentrations of NaOH in the particles or fibers of lignocellulosic-based products subjected to alkali treatment, there is a decrease in the quantity of hydrophobic extractive substances and lignin.
The mechanical properties of boards fabricated from untreated and treated banana particles are detailed in Table 2.A significant difference was detected in the mechanical characteristics of the test samples between the treated and untreated groups, as per the ANOVA analysis.Following the application of the Duncan test, three homogenous groups were delineated for each of the variables: MOR, MOE, and IB.NaOH concentration in lignocellulosic fibers can induce fiber weakening, ultimately resulting in diminished mechanical properties [38][39][40].
Table 3 presents the surface roughness and contact angle attributes of board samples produced from both untreated and treated banana particles.The ANOVA test revealed a statistically significant distinction in surface properties between the experimental specimens of the untreated and treated sample groups.Subsequent application of the Duncan test identified three coherent and comparable groups within each dataset pertaining to surface roughness and contact angle.[41] established that the appropriate range of surface roughness for particleboard falls between 3.67 and 5.46 µm.Surface roughness is influenced by various factors, encompassing characteristics such as the annual ring structure, differentiation between hardwood and sapwood, as well as the distribution and cellular arrangement [42][43][44].Moreover, the alkali concentration increase to a certain point is an effective method to increase the strength of banana fiber composites.However, increasing the concentration above certain points causes excessive "delignification" which causes weakening of fiber [45][46][47].These fibers may increase adhesion and may also affect surface properties.Particles with enhanced adhesion potential could contribute to reduced roughness on the board surface.

DECLARATION OF ETHICAL STANDARDS
(ETİK STANDARTLARIN BEYANI) The author of this article declares that the materials and methods they use in their work do not require ethical committee approval and/or legal-specific permission.

AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTIONS (YAZARLARIN KATKILARI)
Abdullah BERAM: He conducted the experiments, analyzed the results and performed the writing process.

Figure A :
Figure A: Board production process / Şekil A: Levha üretim süreci

Table 3
The alkali treatments effects on the physical and mechanical properties and surface properties of the particleboards produced were analyzed.The study was also conducted to highlight the significance and scale of banana plant waste.Elevating the concentration of NaOH application caused the boards to have more hydrophilic properties.This aspect warrants further investigation, particularly in the context of utilizing banana waste biomass.The findings indicate that only boards manufactured with 1% NaOH treated particles fulfilled the minimum requirements for mechanical properties specified for TS-EN 312, 2012.However, the mechanical properties of the particleboards show promising results in terms of achieving the desired values through the development of different methods.It was determined that the contact angle values decreased as the NaOH solution concentration increased.Despite that, It was observed that the surface roughness gradually decreased with increasing NaOH solution.By conducting various surface properties research, boards with more quality surface properties obtained from banana waste can be produced.