Transforming Corn Husks into Paper

Transforming Corn Husks into a Paper

1. Background

Indeed, paper is significant in our daily living. It provides various uses such as for taking down notes, tracking records, literature, designing purposes, news printing, and so on. It has paved the way for inventions of numerous new types of printing, designing, and more. Based on Paper online, (n.d) papers are typically made by pressing together the moist cellulose fiber that can be acquired from organic materials such as inner barks, leaves and grasses. But moist cellulose fibers from inner barks, leaves and grasses are not the only one we can use in producing paper. In fact, we can make paper from pulped native corn husk fibers that can actually be made use in many ways. 

According to the record of the collaboration of Department of Industry (DTI), Board of Investments, and Philippine Paper Manufacturers Association, Inc. (PPMAI), (n.d) the pulp and paper industry contributes about P30 billion per year in domestic sales value to the economy, or saves the country $700 million per year in foreign exchange from imported paper and board.  At present, as stated in the records of DTI and PPMAI, the Philippines has twenty-four (24) non-integrated paper mills with a total production capacity of 1.3 million tons of paper and paperboard per year, as well as four (4) abaca pulp mills exporting 25,000 tons of specialty non-wood pulp per year. Moreover, the country’s recent strong economic performance has pushed a steady rise in demand for packaging materials. Furthermore, according to the study of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), nearly 4 billion trees worldwide are cut down each year for paper, representing about 35% of all harvested trees. World consumption of paper has grown 400 percent in the last 40 years. Now nearly 4 billion trees or 35% of the total trees cut around the world are used in paper industries on every continent.

As this investigatory project aims to be an instrument of resolution on various environment issues such as the increase in the number of cut down trees for paper production, we decided to make use of corn husks which has less usefulness yet natural. We have seen a similar investigatory project that made use of corn husks. As we want a new discovery, we have made use of native corn husk which are brighter than the normal ones. Through this project, we can also contribute in the utilization of waste native corn husks that will gradually reduce the amount of solid waste in our country and at the same time lead in a major breakthrough in our economic growth through the paper manufacturers. By means of this project, native corn husks can be recycled in an uncommon way such as the paper production.

1. Research Problem

Since paper is one of the needs of almost all the people, the source where papers are produced is important but then we have to consider that we cannot always use the trees for they might get extinct. So, this project aims to prove that it is possible to make paper from other materials particularly corn husk. Instead of always using trees as the source of paper, it is a must that we should find other source in making a paper. So, this project aims to use corn husk in making paper instead of just throwing them.

1. Significance of the study

This project is mostly devoted to the students, faculty, office workers and other people who oftentimes use paper in their work or everyday lives. The importance of this project is that if corn would be one of the source of the production of paper there would be a substitute with trees and trees would not always be the one used for making paper plus this project also helps to lessen the trash such as the corn husk and recycles it to make it more meaningful and useful.

1. Method

• Materials

In this project, you would have to use about two dozens of native corn husks. The one that is used as a softening agent for the corn husk is lye particularly the brand Champion and may be bought in hardware stores. Also, to remove the excess water and to form the shape of the paper you would need to make a silk screen that is made up of a screen and scrap of wood that you may ask or buy from nearby furniture houses. There is no particular size for the silk screen but for this project, an 8 by 8 sized silk screen was used.

• Instruments

In making the corn husk into a paper, the following instruments are needed: Boiling pot to boil the corn husks together with the lye to soften the corn husks. Measuring tools such as a table spoon and a glass cup to be able to measure the right amount of lye and water needed. Note that for every 1 quart or 4 cups of water is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of lye. A blender to pulp the boiled corn husks and to turn it into a viscous liquid.

• Procedures

In making paper out of corn husks, first ask some corn husks from the sellers of corn in the wet market or just gather some native corn husks. And then, cut off parts of the corn husks that are already dry and wash the corn husks properly. After that, put the corn husks in the boiling pot together with four glasses of water and add one tablespoon of lye to soften it. Boil the husks for thirty minutes. Afterwards, let the boiled corn husks get dry and then wash them with water. And then, place them into the blender and blend or pulp them until they turn into a viscous liquid. After that, pour the viscous liquid to the silk screen to remove excess water and to form its shape. Then, put one piece of wax paper on the top of the silk screen to make the pulped corn husk stick there. After that, place another wax paper to serve as a cover. And then, put or stack several heavy books on top of the wax paper overnight to let the water set aside. Lastly, place the corn husks under the sunlight for one and a half day for the paper to dry.

1. Results and Discussion

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[pic 3][pic 4]

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After religiously following the steps stated above, the resulting product would look like the pictures one and two. Maybe, the question running on your mind is what is the difference between using native corn husk instead of using the one in sweetcorn. Well based on an investigatory project done by students in Manila Caloocan University, paper out of the corn husk of a sweetcorn and comparing it to this project it is mostly about the physical appearance. In using the sweetcorn, the texture is rough and its color is green while in using the native one, the texture is smoother than the one with the sweetcorn and its color is yellowish white. There may be small differences but what is important is that this project resorted on using the corn husk of the native one to look for the differences and if it is also possible to make paper out of it.

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