DEVELOPMENT OF PAPER BAGS FROM CELLULOSE BASED PALM OIL EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH WAST

• Main Author: Brahma Sinukaban, Ginaro
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/86315
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world. According to BPS data, in 2022, the area of palm oil plantations in Indonesia reached approximately 15.34 million hectares, with a production of around 46.82 million tons. However, Indonesia's success in this industry brings challenges in managing the organic waste generated from the harvesting and processing of palm oil, specifically palm empty fruit bunches (PEFB). The organic waste can undergo anaerobic decomposition, producing methane gas that contributes to ozone layer depletion and poses a fire risk. Meanwhile, PEFB contains 37.26–62% cellulose, which has significant potential for use as paper raw material. The paper made from PEFB can be used for paper bags as an alternative to plastic shopping bags. The development of paper bags is becoming urgent due to the mandate for eco-friendly shopping bags in Jakarta. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of NaOH concentration during alkalization and bleaching time on the purity of PEFB cellulose, paper tensile strength, tear strength, and water resistance. The results indicate that PEFB fibers alkalized with 15% NaOH solution and bleached with CH3COOOH for 2 hours achieved the highest cellulose purity level, at 82.61%. The paper produced from fibers under these conditions exhibited the highest tensile and tear strength compared to other papers, at 1.23 MPa and 6.32 cN respectively, and had the lowest Cobb value, at 310.12 g/m².