Elaboración de un sustituto de cuero a partir de fibra derivada de la caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum)

Abstract

The objective of this research work was to elaborate a leather substitute from the natural fiber extracted from sugarcane bagasse, by mixing resin, polyester, and fiber. For fiber extraction, the sugar cane bagasse was submerged in water for 24 hours, then it was subjected to basic hydrolysis using different concentrations of sodium hydroxide of 20 gr/lt and 30 gr/lt and cooking times of 5 and 10 minutes; each treatment had four replicates. By means of the tests carried out and their analysis, it was established that the T2 treatment, 10 minutes of cooking and 20 gr/lt NaOH, was the one that presented the best yield and quality. With respect to the leather substitute, two treatments were formulated, T1: 50 g of resin and 7 g of polyester; T2: 75 gr of resin, 10 gr of polyester and both with 10 gr of fiber; each one with 4 repetitions, the formulations are pressed to compact the components and thus obtain the leather substitute, subsequently the different physicochemical and mechanical tests were carried out under the IUP Standard (International Standard for Physical Tests); The conclusion is that the possibility of creating a leather substitute is feasible since it has similar properties to animal leather; however, it is recommended to look for an alternative to make the carding more effective without large losses of raw material, such as the use of a tool to separate the fibers and to treat the liquid waste generated in the extraction process of sugar cane fiber in order to optimize the process.