The banana stem, grain stalk that supports the banana fruits, is normally discarded after the fruit harvesting, either in the “packing houses” or in the delivering centers, where it is considered a residue due to the great volume generated. The stem is a part of the banana plant that looks like a trunk, which consists of a soft central core and tightly wrapped up to 25 leaf sheaths. These leaf sheaths unwrap from the stem and transform to recognizable banana leaves when they have matured.
The banana stem has also been considered for use as pulp and paper raw material, fiber for textiles, and filler or structural reinforcement in composites materials.
Banana stem is easily collected from banana trees after collection of banana fruits. The stem is used as a waste product and used in domestic cooking purpose. Mainly chemical process is used to collect the cellulose from the lignin.
Lignin is separated from the lignocelluloses. It is removed after cutting of banana stem in small pieces and then stem is blowing inside the digester at a high pressure and successive use of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulphide and sodium hypochlorite.
Soft central core of banana stem
