St.
Jude College Dasmariñas Cavite
Carlos Trinidad Avenue, Salitran IV, City of
Dasmariñas Cavite
The Utilization of Patola (Luffa cylindrica) Fiber as a Raw
Material for Producing as Writing Paper
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
In
Practical Research 2
Submitted by:
Calunia, Jeremie
Cañete, Emmanuelle John
Capus, Johnlaire
Hayag, Carl Edvir
Mercado, Raymond Joseph
Perez, Gerrico
Demapeles, Ariza Alliana
Garma, Alexandra
Montallana, Monique Aizzel
December 2020
Submitted to:
Mrs. Salve D. Samoya
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………………...…...2
Abstract
Acknowledgement
Chapter 1: Introduction
A. Background of the Study
B. Statement of the Problem
C. Objectives of the Study
D. Significance of the Study
E. Scope and Delimitation
F. Theoretical Framework
G. Conceptual Framework
H. Hypothesis
I. Definition of Terms
Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature
A. Foreign Literature
B. Local Literature
C. Foreign Study
D. Local Study
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Chapter 3: Methodology
A. Research Design
B. Sampling
C. Research Instrument
D. Data Gathering Procedure
E. Data Gathering Method
Chapter 4: Results, Analysis and Interpretation
Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
A. Summary of Results
B. Conclusion
C. Recommendation
Bibliography
Curriculum Vitae
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Abstract
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Acknowledgement
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Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Papers are one of the most prominent inventions of humans that are now widely
used around the world. It is used for all sorts and types of printed materials, writing, art,
and many more. According to uibk.ac.at, the paper is made of a network of plant fibers laid
down as a flat sheet. It is composed of numerous interlocking fibers obtained from the
suspension of plant tissues in water, known as pulp. The main examples of the source to
get pulp are from wood and other plant sources, such as cotton, sugar canes, and bamboo.
According to history, the first paper is invented by a Chinese court official in AD
105. It is made from slurry of paper mulberry fibers in water. Using different plants vary
the characteristics of the paper produced. As the years go by, people innovated many ways
on how to make paper. They used different materials and different methods to produce a
different kind of paper.
In addition to the scarcity of materials for making quality paper, the cost of these is
high depending on the market price set on it. All these set aside, the question on everyone’s
mind is: “What can be a good alternative for making paper with low-cost prices and shorter
production time?”
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Patola (Luffa cylindrica) is a common plant that can be grown both by farmers or
garden lovers. According to DOA (Department Of Agriculture), when it matures, the dried
fruit is observed to consist of a stiff, dense network of cellulose fibers. Those fibers are
commonly used as shower accessories that are used for cleaning and exfoliating the skin.
Along with other ingredients like cornstarch, okra, and baking soda, will patola be feasible
as an alternative material to produce paper?
Statement of the Problem
Generally, this study ascertains the possibility of the utilization of patola fibers as a
raw material for producing writing paper. Specifically, this study aims to answer the
following questions:
1. Can the product be classified as a writing paper?
2. How appropriate is the paper made of patola fiber as a writing material?
3. Is there a significant difference between the degrees of writing the appropriateness
of the paper made out of patola fiber considering having different treatments?
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Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to discover new raw material for
paper, which is the patola fiber, and determine its appropriateness as a writing paper
product.
The specific objectives are the following:
1. To discover a new way of using patola.
2. To identify the quality of the product as a new writing paper product.
3. To reduce the cutting trees that is to be used for producing paper.
Significance of the Study
The study will focus on the utilization of patola fiber as a material for producing
writing paper. Moreover, the result of this study will benefit the following:
Environment. The experiment will help the environment since producing paper is
massively made by trees. The result of this study can be a way to lessen or stop the cutting
down trees.
Future Researchers. The future researchers can use this study as reference or be a
steer to innovate this experiment.
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Patola Farm. The patola farm will benefit on this study as to they will be the main
source of raw material by use in making a writing paper.
Scope and Limitations
The investigatory project assesses the utilization of patola fiber as a raw
material for producing paper.
The researchers will use patola as a primary variable that will be involved
in this study. They will also only examine the quality of patola fiber paper as a new writing
paper product. The time frame of the experiment will take starting November 19 to
December 6.
Theoretical Framework
Paper is made up of connected fibers. The fibers can come from several sources
including cloth rags, cellulose fibers from plants, and, most notably, trees.
According to Swayne (2007), wood as a papermaking raw material is a
relative newcomer. For the following 1700 years paper was made exclusively from
non-wood fibers, such as cotton, hemp, flax, and grass. Also as affirmed by Mudit
Chandra (1998), over the last few years, a technological breakthrough in almost all
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the fields of papermaking has made non-wood more competitive with wood as a raw
material for papermaking.
Most modern paper is made from trees, but that hasn't always been the case.
Paper can be made from any form of cellulose that can be broken down into fibers.
Because cellulose is what gives all plants their structure, most plants can be used to
make paper. Since the Chinese produced the first true paper around the year 100
A.D., people have made paper with rags, old fishing nets, grass, tree bark, and a
variety of other plants. The reason cellulose molecules in paper stick together after
they're wet is that they are made of long strings of glucose molecules one of the
components of common table sugar. When cellulose is beaten into a watery pulp,
some of the glucose molecules dissolve in the water. Then, when the pulp is spread
in a sheet to dry, the glucose re-bonds with the cellulose molecules to hold the paper
together. (ULIN, 2010)
Luffa cylindrica fibers contain about 60–63% alpha-cellulose. The pure
white, alpha-cellulose is insoluble and can be filtered from the solution and washed
before use in the production of paper. The most important characteristic of fiber that makes
it suitable for papermaking is that cellulose fiber develops physical and chemical bonding
with other fibers when it changes from wet to dry condition.
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Conceptual Framework
This framework shows all the overall outline of the study. It can be
expressed by using the input-process-output framework (IPO).
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
1. Gathering of 1. Doing the actual The outcome of the
materials needed for the experiment that experiment which is the
experiment. includes 5 trials. writing paper made out
of Patola Fiber.
2. Forming different 2. Data Gathering
processes for trials. An analysis about the
3. Data Analysis quality of the paper
3. Creating questions product.
that to be answered for 4. Data Interpretation
the data analysis.
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
Input (I) comprises of gathering of the materials needed for the experiment
to be used by the researchers; forming and making different processes for the experiment
as the researchers wanted to try for different trials and; creating questions that to be
answered for the data analysis.
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Process (P) indicates the methodology used to meet the objectives of the
experimental study through doing the actual experiment that has 5 different trials,
gathering of data, analysis of the data, and the data interpretation.
Output (O) pertains to the outcome of the experiment which is the writing
paper made out of Patola fiber and the analysis about the quality of the paper product.
Hypothesis
The following are the null hypothesis of this research:
The fiber from patola can be a source in producing paper.
The more fiber we use, the better the quality of paper it can produce.
The paper out of patola fiber is inedible.
If the product is capable as a writing paper.
The ink from pen doesn’t bleed on the paper.
The following are the alternative hypothesis of this research:
The fiber from patola cannot be a source in producing
Even if we use more fiber, it won’t make any difference in paper’s quality that can
be produced.
The paper made from patola fiber is edible.
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The product is not capable as a writing paper.
The ink of the pen bleeds on the paper product.
The paper made out of patola fiber can be used as a beautification instead of
writing sheet.
Definition of Terms
Paper. It is the thin sheet material produced by mechanically and/or chemically
processing cellulose fibers from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources.
Patola (Luffa cylindrica). Also goes with the scientific name Luffa aegyptiaca, a
sponge gourd which is known as Egyptian cucumber or Vietnamese luffa.
Plant Fiber. It is used as a component of composite materials or matted into sheets
to make products such as paper of felt.
Pulp. A soft wet mass of fibers derived from rags, grasses or woods which are used
for paper making.
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Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter presents and discusses foreign and local literature and studies
that are closely related to the present research. The information in this chapter was sought
to support this study and lead the researchers in discovering the utilization of Patola (Luffa
cylindrica) fiber as a raw material for producing writing paper.
Foreign Literature
It is said by Rojas (2008) that paper is one of the most important inventions
in the history of civilization which it is an essential commodity to all the people around the
world. Paper was invented around 100 CE during the Han dynasty in China; this is when
the national civil service was set up.
The first paper was made from rags, and then later, plants were used such
as bark, hemp, and bamboo. As civil-service officials needed lots of paper to do their work,
paper was then mass-produced which is slowly spread across the world, reaching Europe in
the 1100s.
Local Literature
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Ridged gourd (Luffa acutangula) and smooth gourd (Luffa cylindrical) are
Patola, which is commonly called by the Tagalogs and kabatiti among Ilocanos and
Ibanags, it is a tropical member of the Cucurbitaceae. It is mostly known as the loofah
sponge once the fruit matures and dries.
While it is common in the Philippines to use it as body scrubs, or eat it
when it is not mature, it can be used as a pesticide which is commonly done in China. As
for fibers, it can be used as a weaving material for making hats.
The fruit is known for a lot of benefits. According to a website’s article that
was released in November 2019, Patola is rich in a vast array of essential components like
dietary fibers, water content, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and vitamin B6. This
kind of fruit is naturally low in calorie content, unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol.
Thus, they abound in potent antioxidants and alkaloid compounds that regulate metabolism
and eliminate toxins from the body.
Foreign Study
According to Hubbe (2009), the manual craft of papermaking has been
practiced for over 2000 years in all over the world with utilizing different techniques. The
main raw materials of pulp and papermaking industry in general can be classified into three
categories, which are wood, non-wood, and non-plant.
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In these recent years, the total pulp consumption of the world is 63% for
wood pulp, 34% for wastepaper pulp, and 3% for non-wood pulp.
Local Study
A research study that were conducted by Odilon et. Al (2014) wherein they
made writing papers from repulped waste paper and fresh fallen leaves. They show three
types of leaves (which are Mahogany, Talisay, and Acacia) and done with different ratios.
The process of their papermaking is similar on how it is traditionally made.
They prepared paper mold, blender, and a larger basin; they also include the waste paper
and leaves.
For their data gathering procedure, they made a Likert scale questionnaire
for the respondents as the respondents will try out the products.
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Chapter III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the methodology of the study. It covers the research
design, sampling, research instrument, data gathering procedure and data gathering
method.
Research Design
For this study, the researchers will focus more on the utilization of patola
fiber as raw material for producing writing paper. The researchers will use the quantitative
method and completely randomized design for this study.
There will be four independent
Sampling
Research Instrument
The main tool used in this study to gather the information of the degree of
appropriateness for paper writing is the rating scale survey questionnaire.
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Data Gathering Procedure
Chapter IV
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PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the data gathered together with the analysis and its
interpretation.
Mas summarized ng data gathering procedure and method
Chapter V
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SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
This chapter presents the summary of the findings, the conclusions made and the
recommendations offered.
Summary
Conclusions
Recommendations
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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CURRICULUM VITAE
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