A PRETREATMENT PROCESS TO MAKE BANANA FIBERS SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NON-WOVEN FABRICS

The utility model relates to a pretreatment process to make banana fibers suitable for use in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics consisting of scouring of decorticated banana fibers in a solution of 4g/L sodium hydroxide, 2g/L sodium silicate and 1g/L wetting agent for 30 minutes at a temperature of 96 deg. C to 100 deg. C, using 1:15 liquor ratio; adding 8g/L of hydrogen peroxide to the solution and boiling the banana fibers for another 30 minutes at a temperature of 96 deg. C to 100 deg. C; washing the banana fibers three times with hot water having a temperature of 50 deg. C to 70 deg. C; neutralizing the banana fibers in a solution of 1 g/L acetic acid for 10 minutes at a temperature of 50 deg. C to 60 deg. C, using 1:15 liquor ratio; washing the banana fibers three times with hot water having a temperature of 50 deg. C to 15 70 deg. C; extracting water from the banana fibers through spin-drying; soaking the banana fibers in a solution of 4g/L Sansoftener CA-7 and squeezing the fibers out of the excess solution by passing through a chemical softening machine until pick up is 200 pcnt ; air-drying the banana fibers; and mechanically softening the banana fibers by passing them three times through a mechanical softening machine with fluted rollers.