Title of Invention	PROCESS FOR MAKING POLYMERIC MATERIAL OF CELLULOSE NANOFIBER FROM WASTES OF PLANTAIN AND BANANA PLANTS
Abstract	A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared from pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain plants (Musa paradisiaca) and banana plants (Musa sapientum), which may be formed into film, sheet, pill, powder, . matrix, fiber, pad, filter, semiconductor and combinations thereof, having high surface to weight ratio, low density, large surface area to mass, high pore volume and very small pore size, physically and chemically stable at normal Itemperature and pressure, that makes it a suitable material for a wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors. The present invention also provides a process for making polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber comprising the steps of chipping the psedostem and infloresence axis into small ' pieces, cooking the same in alkaline medium of sodium hydroxide solution, washing the boiled mass obtained with water for removing the alkali followed' by grinding the boiled mass into pulp after adding water, separating the Igelatinous mass by passing the pulp through a large sieve, sieving the gelatinous mass again using cloth or centrifugation to separate the polymer material of cellulose nanofiber and putting the same on mould and dry it by passing constant supply of hot air.

Title of Invention

PROCESS FOR MAKING POLYMERIC MATERIAL OF CELLULOSE NANOFIBER FROM WASTES OF PLANTAIN AND BANANA PLANTS

Abstract

A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared from pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain plants (Musa paradisiaca) and banana plants (Musa sapientum), which may be formed into film, sheet, pill, powder, . matrix, fiber, pad, filter, semiconductor and combinations thereof, having high surface to weight ratio, low density, large surface area to mass, high pore volume and very small pore size, physically and chemically stable at normal Itemperature and pressure, that makes it a suitable material for a wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors. The present invention also provides a process for making polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber comprising the steps of chipping the psedostem and infloresence axis into small ' pieces, cooking the same in alkaline medium of sodium hydroxide solution, washing the boiled mass obtained with water for removing the alkali followed' by grinding the boiled mass into pulp after adding water, separating the Igelatinous mass by passing the pulp through a large sieve, sieving the gelatinous mass again using cloth or centrifugation to separate the polymer material of cellulose nanofiber and putting the same on mould and dry it by passing constant supply of hot air.

Full Text	3.PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION COMPLETE The following specification describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed 4. DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared from pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and banana (Musa sapientum) plants. More particularly, this invention provides a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber, which can be used to make an extremely versatile range of materials, for traditional wood processing industry products as well as for totally new applications in biomedical, electronics, surgical, aerospace, sports goods and composite materials in various forms and shapes. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The scientific world generally considers nanofibers as fibers having a diameter of less than one micron or as having at least one dimension of 100 nanometer (nm) or less. The name nanofiber derives from a scientific measurement unit the nanometer, representing a billionth of a meter, or three to four atoms wide. Nanofibers are an exciting new class of material used for several value added specific applications such as medical, filtration, barrier, wipes, personal care, composite, garments, insulation, and energy storage. The special properties of nanofibers such as extremely high surface to weight ratio, low density, large surface area to mass, high pore volume, and ultra small pore size make them suitable for a wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors, drug delivery Systems, battery separators, energy storage, fuel cells, and information technology. Cellulose is the most abundant renewable resource polymer on earth and it constitute the skeletal structure of all plants. Apart from that cellulose is the most abundant form of living terrestrial flora. Producing ultra-small diameter fibers from cellulose could have a wide variety of applications that would exploit the enormous surface area of intertwined fabric mat of nanofibers and the possibility of controlling the molecular orientation and crystalline structures of nanoscale fibers. In prior art cellulose nanofibre has obtained from wood, wheat straw, hemp and rutabaga by electro spinning or chemical treatments followed by mechanical techniques. Electro spinning process involves dissolving cellulose in a solvent, squeezing the liquid polymer solution through a tiny pinhole and applying a high voltage to the pinhole. This technique relies on electrical rather than mechanical forces to form fibers. Thus, special properties are required of polymer solutions for electrospinning, including the ability to carry electrical charges. The process of making nanofibers using electro spinning is quite expensive compared to conventional fibers due to low production rate and high cost of technology. In addition the vapor emitting from electrospinning solution while forming the web need to be recovered or disposed of in an environmental friendly manner and This involves additional equipment and cost. The fineness of fiber and evaporated vapor also raises much concern over possible health hazard due to inhalation of fibers. The banana stalks and plantain stalks are thought of as waste agricultural byproducts and currently these byproducts are usually disposed of in landfills, where they can attract insects and contribute to landfill capacity problems. Additionally, they may be discarded into water bodies, where they oxidize and can cause potential environmental problems. In other instances, the byproducts are left on the ground to act as a natural fertilizer. A very small portion of the banana and plantain stalks is used as fodder. Therefore it was desirable to convert these plant byproducts into useful fibers rather than allowing them to contaminate the environment. In the case of pseudostem of plantain and banana plants, it used to get converted into fiber for various purposes as for making paper, bags, wall decorations, cloths etc. The technique of separating the fiber lengthwise, drying and manufacturing paper and other goods have been practiced for centuries. Apart from that, the pseudostem dried after peeling it from the plant had been employed as thread or yarn. Thin yarn was also produced from the plant after the separation of the fresh thread from the pseudostem and drying; decorative consumer materials are being made of these threads. Plantain/banana are grown on over lOmillion hectares spread in 64 countries. Over 72 million tons of banana fruit and 40 million tons of Plantain fruits are produced every year. The quantity of the discarded plant materials would be around 300 million tons yearly. Comparatively a very small proportion of the discarded pseudostem gets converted into fiber or other useful byproducts. The pseudostem left out in the farm and the inflorescence axis discarded in the marketplace, shops or households become a nuisance, giving rise to much inconvenience and pollution. It is the principal object of the present invention to provide for a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber derived from pseudostem, leaves, inflorescence stalks of plantain and banana plants, which can substitute paper and plastic in many applications. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for an alternative method for effective use of the psedostem, leaves and inflorescence stalks of plantain and banana plants discarded as waste and causing environmental hazard. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for economical and commercially viable method for obtaining polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber. INVENTION Accordingly the present invention provides for a strong polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared using psedustem, leaves, and inflorescence stalks of plantain and banana plants. The said polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber is obtained by series of processes beginning with Chipping Pseudostem, inflorescence axis, and stalks of plantain/banana plant into small pieces of four to six millimeters in length. The finally chipped pseudostem, inflorescence axis and stalks are mixed with a 0.1 molar[0.4%] solution of sodium hydroxide, at a ratio of one liter of solution for one kilogram of biomass. The said mixture of chipped mass and sodium hydroxide is then placed in a steel vessel and heated at 100 degree Celsius for 30 minutes. Thereafter the heated mass containing the pieces and gelatinous material is allowed to cool and settle. Then the mother liquor is decanted off. The boiled mass is then mixed well with water at a ratio of 1:1 and allowed to stand until the biomass settle, the supernatant liquid is drained off without disturbing the settled mass. This process is to be repeated three times to make the mixture alkali-free. The biomass is then pulped by grinding, after adding water at a ratio of 2:1. The pulp is then sieved through a larger sieve/mesh, forcing the gelatinous content along with water to pass through to get collected below, retaining the macro fiber in the sieve. The gelatinous mass disbursed in water is obtained as filtrate. The filtrate is then filtered by using cloth or centrifuge to separate the polymer material of cellulose nanofiber. The said polymer materials are deposited in the mold then dry it by passing hot air. When the deposit gets dry it becomes a strong polymeric material of cellulose naofiber, which can be a used in respect of various applications in the field of medicine, surgery, industrial, consumer, electronics and Information technology. If the end product polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber is spread on a flat mould, a very thin microfilm of 0.35mm thickness and tensile strength of 29N/mm2 can be obtained. Thinner ones with .01 mm or more thickness are also prepared. The strong polymeric material provided by the present invention is non-toxic and biodegradable. Apart from this, it is insoluble and dispersible in water. There had been no similar process employed in converting the contents including the cell sap/fluid content of pseudostem, inflorescence stalk and leaves of plantain/banana plant into such a strong and useful polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber, which can substitute paper and plastic in many applications. The solution of sodium hydroxide used in the process acts as a medium only; it is not directly bonded in to the compound; but there can be partial adsorption or absorption of the ions (OH" and Na+)into the lattice of the solid material. Chemically it is found to contain polysaccharide, but not sugar, hence the major content is cellulose fiber itself. The polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber of present invention is electrically non-conducting, bio-compatible, and bio-degradable. The polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber may be formed into, film, sheet, pill, powder, matrix, fiber, pad, filter, sensor, body implant, semiconductor and combinations thereof. The polymer material may be an effective conversion of the plantain and banana stalks which comprises of pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain/banana plants. The polymeric materials of the invention are compositions that have physical properties that permit it to have a variety of physical shapes or forms, to have resistance to the corrosion effects of humidity, heat, air flow, chemicals and mechanical stress or impact. The Polymeric cellulose nanofiber obtained in the process can be made into thin films of 0.01mm thickness transparent and having tensile strength. 5. We claim 1. A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared from pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and banana (Musa sapientum) plants, which may be formed into film, sheet, pill, powder, matrix, fiber, pad, filter, semiconductor and combinations thereof, having high surface to weight ratio, low density, large surface area to mass, high pore volume and very small pore size, physically and chemically stable at normal temperature and pressure, that makes it a suitable material for a wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors. 2. A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber in Claim 1 having high tensile strength and elongation level, physically and chemically stable at normal temperature and pressure. 3. A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber in claim 1 which can be used in respect of medical and surgical applications for artificial tooth, bones, body organs, wrappers, bandages, splinters, hair bristles etc 4. The process of making polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber in Claim 1 comprising step of (i) Chipping the psedostem and inflorescence stalks of banana plant into small pieces and boiling the same in an alkaline medium of sodium hydroxide, at a pH of 13 for 30 minutes, (ii) Washing the cooked mass of step (i) containing the pieces and gelatinous material with water for three times to remove the alkali, (iii) Pulping the alkali removed cooked mass of step (ii) by grinding using grinder after mixing water at a ratio of 2:1. (iv) Passing the pulp of step (iii) through a sieve or mesh forcing the gelatinous content along with water to get collected below, retaining the macro fiber in the sieve/mesh, (v) Filtering the gelatinous mass of step (iv) disbursed in water by using cloth or centrifuge to separate the polymer material of cellulose nanofiber. (vi) The polymer material of step (v) are deposited in the mould and dries it by passing hot air at 100-120 celsius. 5. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein small pieces of pseudostem and inflorescence stalks of banana plant are boiled in an alkaline medium sodium hydroxide, at a pH of 13. 6. A process as claimed in claim 4 and 5 wherein the cooked mass is pulped by grinding using a grinder. 7. A process as claimed in claim 4 and 6 wherein the pulp is passed through sieve/mesh and separate the gelatinous mass and macro fiber. 8. A process as claimed in claims 4 and 7 wherein gelatinous mass and the water is again sieved using cloth or centrifuge. 9. A process as clamed in claims 4 and 8 wherein a polymer material is deposited in the mold then dries it by passing hot air. 10. A process as claimed in claims 4 to 9 wherein as the deposit gets dry, becomes a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber, which can be used in respect of wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors.

Full Text

3.PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
COMPLETE
The following specification describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed

4. DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared from pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and banana (Musa sapientum) plants. More particularly, this invention provides a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber, which can be used to make an extremely versatile range of materials, for traditional wood processing industry products as well as for totally new applications in biomedical, electronics, surgical, aerospace, sports goods and composite materials in various forms and shapes. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The scientific world generally considers nanofibers as fibers having a diameter of less than one micron or as having at least one dimension of 100 nanometer (nm) or less. The name nanofiber derives from a scientific measurement unit the nanometer, representing a billionth of a meter, or three to four atoms wide. Nanofibers are an exciting new class of material used for several value added specific applications such as medical, filtration, barrier, wipes, personal care, composite, garments, insulation, and energy storage. The special properties of nanofibers such as extremely high surface to weight ratio, low density, large surface area to mass, high pore volume, and ultra small pore size make them suitable for a wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors, drug delivery

Systems, battery separators, energy storage, fuel cells, and information technology.
Cellulose is the most abundant renewable resource polymer on earth and it constitute the skeletal structure of all plants. Apart from that cellulose is the most abundant form of living terrestrial flora. Producing ultra-small diameter fibers from cellulose could have a wide variety of applications that would exploit the enormous surface area of intertwined fabric mat of nanofibers and the possibility of controlling the molecular orientation and crystalline structures of nanoscale fibers.
In prior art cellulose nanofibre has obtained from wood, wheat straw, hemp and rutabaga by electro spinning or chemical treatments followed by mechanical techniques. Electro spinning process involves dissolving cellulose in a solvent, squeezing the liquid polymer solution through a tiny pinhole and applying a high voltage to the pinhole. This technique relies on electrical rather than mechanical forces to form fibers. Thus, special properties are required of polymer solutions for electrospinning, including the ability to carry electrical charges. The process of making nanofibers using electro spinning is quite expensive compared to conventional fibers due to low production rate and high cost of technology. In addition the vapor emitting from electrospinning solution while forming the web need to be recovered or disposed of in an environmental friendly manner and

This involves additional equipment and cost. The fineness of fiber and evaporated vapor also raises much concern over possible health hazard due to inhalation of fibers.
The banana stalks and plantain stalks are thought of as waste agricultural byproducts and currently these byproducts are usually disposed of in landfills, where they can attract insects and contribute to landfill capacity problems. Additionally, they may be discarded into water bodies, where they oxidize and can cause potential environmental problems. In other instances, the byproducts are left on the ground to act as a natural fertilizer. A very small portion of the banana and plantain stalks is used as fodder. Therefore it was desirable to convert these plant byproducts into useful fibers rather than allowing them to contaminate the environment. In the case of pseudostem of plantain and banana plants, it used to get converted into fiber for various purposes as for making paper, bags, wall decorations, cloths etc. The technique of separating the fiber lengthwise, drying and manufacturing paper and other goods have been practiced for centuries. Apart from that, the pseudostem dried after peeling it from the plant had been employed as thread or yarn. Thin yarn was also produced from the plant after the separation of the fresh thread from the pseudostem and drying; decorative consumer materials are being made of these threads. Plantain/banana are grown on over lOmillion hectares spread in 64 countries. Over 72 million tons of banana fruit and 40 million tons of

Plantain fruits are produced every year. The quantity of the discarded plant
materials would be around 300 million tons yearly. Comparatively a very
small proportion of the discarded pseudostem gets converted into fiber or
other useful byproducts. The pseudostem left out in the farm and the
inflorescence axis discarded in the marketplace, shops or households
become a nuisance, giving rise to much inconvenience and pollution.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide for a polymeric
material of cellulose nanofiber derived from pseudostem, leaves,
inflorescence stalks of plantain and banana plants, which can substitute
paper and plastic in many applications.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide for an alternative
method for effective use of the psedostem, leaves and inflorescence stalks
of plantain and banana plants discarded as waste and causing
environmental hazard.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide for economical and
commercially viable method for obtaining polymeric material of cellulose
nanofiber.
INVENTION
Accordingly the present invention provides for a strong polymeric material
of cellulose nanofiber prepared using psedustem, leaves, and inflorescence
stalks of plantain and banana plants. The said polymeric material of
cellulose nanofiber is obtained by series of processes beginning with

Chipping Pseudostem, inflorescence axis, and stalks of plantain/banana plant into small pieces of four to six millimeters in length. The finally chipped pseudostem, inflorescence axis and stalks are mixed with a 0.1 molar[0.4%] solution of sodium hydroxide, at a ratio of one liter of solution for one kilogram of biomass. The said mixture of chipped mass and sodium hydroxide is then placed in a steel vessel and heated at 100 degree Celsius for 30 minutes. Thereafter the heated mass containing the pieces and gelatinous material is allowed to cool and settle. Then the mother liquor is decanted off. The boiled mass is then mixed well with water at a ratio of 1:1 and allowed to stand until the biomass settle, the supernatant liquid is drained off without disturbing the settled mass. This process is to be repeated three times to make the mixture alkali-free. The biomass is then pulped by grinding, after adding water at a ratio of 2:1. The pulp is then sieved through a larger sieve/mesh, forcing the gelatinous content along with water to pass through to get collected below, retaining the macro fiber in the sieve. The gelatinous mass disbursed in water is obtained as filtrate. The filtrate is then filtered by using cloth or centrifuge to separate the polymer material of cellulose nanofiber. The said polymer materials are deposited in the mold then dry it by passing hot air. When the deposit gets dry it becomes a strong polymeric material of cellulose naofiber, which can be a used in respect of various applications in the field of medicine, surgery, industrial, consumer, electronics and

Information technology. If the end product polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber is spread on a flat mould, a very thin microfilm of 0.35mm thickness and tensile strength of 29N/mm2 can be obtained. Thinner ones with .01 mm or more thickness are also prepared. The strong polymeric material provided by the present invention is non-toxic and biodegradable. Apart from this, it is insoluble and dispersible in water. There had been no similar process employed in converting the contents including the cell sap/fluid content of pseudostem, inflorescence stalk and leaves of plantain/banana plant into such a strong and useful polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber, which can substitute paper and plastic in many applications. The solution of sodium hydroxide used in the process acts as a medium only; it is not directly bonded in to the compound; but there can be partial adsorption or absorption of the ions (OH" and Na+)into the lattice of the solid material. Chemically it is found to contain polysaccharide, but not sugar, hence the major content is cellulose fiber itself.
The polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber of present invention is electrically non-conducting, bio-compatible, and bio-degradable. The polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber may be formed into, film, sheet, pill, powder, matrix, fiber, pad, filter, sensor, body implant, semiconductor and combinations thereof. The polymer material may be an effective conversion of the plantain and banana stalks which comprises of

pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain/banana plants. The polymeric materials of the invention are compositions that have physical properties that permit it to have a variety of physical shapes or forms, to have resistance to the corrosion effects of humidity, heat, air flow, chemicals and mechanical stress or impact. The Polymeric cellulose nanofiber obtained in the process can be made into thin films of 0.01mm thickness transparent and having tensile strength.

5. We claim
1. A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber prepared from pseudostem, leaves and inflorescence axis of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and banana (Musa sapientum) plants, which may be formed into film, sheet, pill, powder, matrix, fiber, pad, filter, semiconductor and combinations thereof, having high surface to weight ratio, low density, large surface area to mass, high pore volume and very small pore size, physically and chemically stable at normal temperature and pressure, that makes it a suitable material for a wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors.
2. A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber in Claim 1 having high tensile strength and elongation level, physically and chemically stable at normal temperature and pressure.
3. A polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber in claim 1 which can be used in respect of medical and surgical applications for artificial tooth, bones, body organs, wrappers, bandages, splinters, hair bristles etc
4. The process of making polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber in Claim 1 comprising step of
(i) Chipping the psedostem and inflorescence stalks of

banana plant into small pieces and boiling the same in an
alkaline medium of sodium hydroxide, at a pH of 13 for
30 minutes, (ii) Washing the cooked mass of step (i) containing the
pieces and gelatinous material with water for three times
to remove the alkali, (iii) Pulping the alkali removed cooked mass of step (ii) by
grinding using grinder after mixing water at a ratio of
2:1. (iv) Passing the pulp of step (iii) through a sieve or mesh
forcing the gelatinous content along with water to get
collected below, retaining the macro fiber in the
sieve/mesh, (v) Filtering the gelatinous mass of step (iv) disbursed in
water by using cloth or centrifuge to separate the
polymer material of cellulose nanofiber. (vi) The polymer material of step (v) are deposited in the
mould and dries it by passing hot air at 100-120 celsius. 5. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein small pieces of pseudostem and inflorescence stalks of banana plant are boiled in an alkaline medium sodium hydroxide, at a pH of 13.

6. A process as claimed in claim 4 and 5 wherein the cooked mass is pulped by grinding using a grinder.
7. A process as claimed in claim 4 and 6 wherein the pulp is passed through sieve/mesh and separate the gelatinous mass and macro fiber.
8. A process as claimed in claims 4 and 7 wherein gelatinous mass and the water is again sieved using cloth or centrifuge.
9. A process as clamed in claims 4 and 8 wherein a polymer material is deposited in the mold then dries it by passing hot air.
10. A process as claimed in claims 4 to 9 wherein as the deposit gets dry, becomes a polymeric material of cellulose nanofiber, which can be used in respect of wide range of applications from medical to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications for aerospace, capacitors, transistors.

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Patent Number

244800

Indian Patent Application Number

2005/CHE/2006

PG Journal Number

52/2010

Publication Date

24-Dec-2010

Grant Date

21-Dec-2010

Date of Filing

01-Nov-2006

Name of Patentee

SHRI. VARKEY MATHEW

Applicant Address

PERUNTHAKARY, EARAYILKADAVU, KATTAYAM P O. KOTTAYAM DISTRICT, PIN 686001, KERALA, INDIA

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	SHRI. VARKEY MATHEW	PERUNTHAKARY, EARAYILKADAVU, KATTAYAM P O. KOTTAYAM DISTRICT, PIN 686001, KERALA, INDIA
2	SHRI. CHELOOR KRISHNAN NAIR UNNIKRISHNAN NAIR	USHUS, ANDDR, MARANGATTUPALLI P. O, KOTTAYAM DISTRICT, PIN-686635, KERALA, INDIA
3	SHRI. PADMANABHAN SIVASANKARAN	SOBHA NIVAS, CHANNANIKKAD P.O. KOTTAYAM DISTRICT, PIN-686533, KERALA, INDIA

PCT International Classification Number

C08L01/00

PCT International Application Number

N/A

PCT International Filing date

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1			NA