Torres and Habon attend natural fibers meet
Ms. Adela S. Torres and Ms. Aimee Beatrix R. Habon of FPRDI’s Technology Innovation Division were among the oral presenters in the Second International Conference on Kenaf and Allied Fibers held 3-5 December 2013 at Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Torres discussed the results of her study “Production of Abaca Mechanical Pulps as Extender to Recycled Paper for Printing and Writing Paper”, while Habon presented “The Pulping and Papermaking Properties of Some Philippine Agricultural Fibers”.
Centering on the theme “Innovative Biofibres for a Sustainable Future”, the conference was sponsored by the University of Putra Malaysia (UPM) and gathered 150 researchers from 15 countries to highlight the significance of the natural fiber sector in the global economy, particularly in the tropics.
According to Torres, “We learned from the conference that fibers from non-wood species and agricultural wastes continue to expand in importance worldwide in a wide range of industries. This is not only because of their sustainability but also their technical benefits. There is still so much to discover regarding their usefulness for new products and applications using current and emerging materials.
“At FPRDI, an important non-wood fiber that we can focus on is the abaca. We are the world’s top abaca producer and this raw material is in demand abroad for the production of currency notes, tea bags, sausage casings, electronic paper and other types of specialty paper.”
Torres added, “We would also do well to conduct R&D on the use of natural fibers especially abaca to reinforce recycled fiber for paper products. Other natural fibers we can study include banana, kenaf, salago, empty fruit bunch from palm oil and other fibers from agricultural wastes. Due to environmental concerns, the worldwide demand for recycled fibers continues to increase.” (Rizalina K. Araral, 4 February 2014)
