FIBRAS NATURALES
Durante el periodo 2005 hasta la actualidad se ha venido trabajando en la investigación de PAPEL DE FIBRA NATURAL, en proyectos específicos como:
- INVESTIGACION DE PLANTAS NATIVAS DE LA PROVINCIA DE LOJA PARA LA ELABORACION DE PAPEL DE FIBRA NATURAL.
El trabajo a consistido en la recolección de diversas plantas que contiene mayor cantidad de fibra y cual de ellas son nativas de nuestra provincia. Así como se ha experimentado para comprobar si con la plantas antes mencionadas se puede elaborar papel con características de flexibilidad, resistencia, etc. Mediante esta investigación se ha podido elaborar un banco de datos de las “plantas fibrosas no leñosas de la Provincia de Loja”, que contiene nombre común de la planta, nombre científico, y su hábito.
- ESTUDIO DE FIBRAS NATURALES MEDIANTE PLANTAS Y COLORANTES NATIVOS DE LA PROVINCIA DE LOJA Y ZAMORA A TRAVÉS DE UN MOLINO PAPELERO.
Se ha estudiado la posibilidad de implementar un molino papelero en la Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, con el objetivo de investigación y experimentación, para los alumnos de la escuela de arte y diseño, química, gestión ambiental con el fin que ellos realicen practicas para obras artísticas y artesanías que tengan una identidad en nuestra provincia.
Se esta trabajado con alumnos del cittes de arte y diseño en gestión productiva, en proyectos en proyectos vinculados con el papel de fibra natural como:
- Fotografía sobre papel de fibra natural.
- Packaing con papel de fibra natural.
- Alto relieve con papel de fibra natural.
- Extracción de pigmentos naturales para textiles.
PONENCIAS - NATURAL FIBRES'09 - LONDON
PROCESS AND EXTRACTION IN THE ARTISTIC APPLICATION OF NATURAL FIBERS
UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA PARTICULAR DE LOJA – ECUADOR
María Gabriela Punín Burneo
HYPOTHESIS:
The production of paper from natural fibers from native short-cycle plants, plus the use of traditional mordent from Ecuador, together represent an important alternative for carrying out artistic proposals that focus on reducing environmental impact.
METHODS:
In the process of making paper from natural fibers, genuine artisans do not use machinery. First, they consider the condition of the plant they want to extract, taking into consideration factors such as: the length of the fiber, the freshness of the plant, and from which part of the plant the fiber comes (Liber, vascular, or seeds). Second, they determine the location of raw material, and then thirdly, they proceed to extract and collect the materials. They can use parts of dry plants, left-over pieces from plants that have been trimmed, coconut shells, and the pinzote of the plantain. Other sources come from plants that can be found along forest paths.
For the process of chemical extraction, one must use an alkali solution. But first, a sodium hydroxide solution is used to remove the impurities from the fiber. It is important to remember that the quantity of hydroxide used should be in direct proportion to the quantity of fiber being cooked; some fibers are tougher than others, such as cotton and abaca. In this process of “cooking” the fiber, the walls of the fibers contract and become more absorbent, the fiber becomes softer, and the impurities are removed, as well as lipids and other elements that were still in the fiber. To determine how long the fiber should be cooked, one must take into account the boiling point; cooking times of 30, 45, and 60 minutes have all been tried.
After cooking them, the fibers should be rinsed thoroughly, so that no traces of alkali remain. Next, the fibers need to be stripped and crushed, transforming them into a pulp, which can then be turned into paper. In terms of ridding the fiber of impurities and in terms of its resistance to explosion, the best results have been achieved with banana fibers (pinzote), which have a resistance to explosion equal to 15% of NaOH and 100 minutes of cooking. The length of the fiber affects the formation and uniformity of the paper. The shorter the fibers, the more tightly-knit and uniform the paper will be.
To form the paper, use musilage of Tuna, Nopal (Opuntia ficus), which helps drain the water and helps with the consistency of the pulp. Additionally, a paste should be added, as well as a small amount of CMC (Metil Culosa); experiments have been conducted with starches from potatoes, corn, and rice. The paste will not penetrate the fiber; rather it provides a protective covering, keeping the paper from decomposing due to oxidation. The paste also acts as an adhesive, and can be mixed into the vat of pulp before forming the sheet of paper. Or, the paste can be added to the dry of paper, through various techniques (acuarela, aguada).
While conducting this experiment, it became obvious that we should dye the paper, and we experimented with several artificial dyes. The dyes adhered very well, but after three months, they began to fade, and finally disappeared altogether. Therefore, we decided to research natural pigments and mordent, conducting various tests in order to determine the correct amount of pigment to use. We tested the following pigments:
- Achiote
- Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
- Carmín del la cochinilla (Genipa)
- Nogal (nucalis)
- Avocado
- Dyes used by the Shur tribe: (Cumbia) (Pitajaya) (Guaba) (Sua)
The shade of each dye depends on the time of year the plant is harvested. Most pigments are found in flowers, fruits, and leaves, but during the cold season, they can be found in tree bark and tree trunks. Pigments obtained from plants are also affected by the acidity of the soil, as well as by the amount and kind of minerals present in the soil. These factors can affect the intensity, brightness, and durability of the dye. To extract the dye, boil the plant or bark; the amount of time will vary according to each plant.
Extraction from red cabbage:
Take the cabbage and cut it into pieces small enough to handle easily. Boil the cabbage for an hour or until the dye starts to seep out of the plant. Then, while cooking the plant, add a mordent, such as lime. For every 1000 ml of water, add 100 ml of lime. When we added the mordent, we quickly noticed a change in the intensity of the dye (it became much redder). Next, add the fiber, leaving it in the pot until all of the liquid has been absorbed or boiled off. Add vinegar to increase the shininess of the dyed fibers and to ensure that they hold their color. Immediately wash the fibers with color water, and hang them to dry on a clothesline.
CONCLUSION:
- We rescued parts of plants that are considered waste: from the banana (pinzote), from the palm (leaves), and from the coconut (the shell); and recycled them to create natural-fiber paper.
- To help preserve the environment while making paper, short-cycle plants should be used (they reproduce faster), and the amount of fiber used should be taken into account as well.
- The use of a paste is highly useful in making paper, as it reduces the humidity of the paper, which allows one to use various techniques (aguasa, acuarela, etc) to add dyes and pigments.
- The use of artificial mordent weakens the fiber; the use of natural mordent achieves a better adherence of the dye to the paper.
- This project reaffirmed the fact that natural-fiber paper is a valuable resource for artistic works, and be used in photography, performances, marbling, acuarela, and sculpture.
PONENCIAS - NATURAL FIBRES'09 - LONDON
PROCESS AND EXTRACTION IN THE ARTISTIC APPLICATION OF NATURAL FIBERS
UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA PARTICULAR DE LOJA – ECUADOR
María Gabriela Punín Burneo
HYPOTHESIS:
The production of paper from natural fibers from native short-cycle plants, plus the use of traditional mordent from Ecuador, together represent an important alternative for carrying out artistic proposals that focus on reducing environmental impact.
METHODS:
In the process of making paper from natural fibers, genuine artisans do not use machinery. First, they consider the condition of the plant they want to extract, taking into consideration factors such as: the length of the fiber, the freshness of the plant, and from which part of the plant the fiber comes (Liber, vascular, or seeds). Second, they determine the location of raw material, and then thirdly, they proceed to extract and collect the materials. They can use parts of dry plants, left-over pieces from plants that have been trimmed, coconut shells, and the pinzote of the plantain. Other sources come from plants that can be found along forest paths.
For the process of chemical extraction, one must use an alkali solution. But first, a sodium hydroxide solution is used to remove the impurities from the fiber. It is important to remember that the quantity of hydroxide used should be in direct proportion to the quantity of fiber being cooked; some fibers are tougher than others, such as cotton and abaca. In this process of “cooking” the fiber, the walls of the fibers contract and become more absorbent, the fiber becomes softer, and the impurities are removed, as well as lipids and other elements that were still in the fiber. To determine how long the fiber should be cooked, one must take into account the boiling point; cooking times of 30, 45, and 60 minutes have all been tried.
After cooking them, the fibers should be rinsed thoroughly, so that no traces of alkali remain. Next, the fibers need to be stripped and crushed, transforming them into a pulp, which can then be turned into paper. In terms of ridding the fiber of impurities and in terms of its resistance to explosion, the best results have been achieved with banana fibers (pinzote), which have a resistance to explosion equal to 15% of NaOH and 100 minutes of cooking. The length of the fiber affects the formation and uniformity of the paper. The shorter the fibers, the more tightly-knit and uniform the paper will be.
To form the paper, use musilage of Tuna, Nopal (Opuntia ficus), which helps drain the water and helps with the consistency of the pulp. Additionally, a paste should be added, as well as a small amount of CMC (Metil Culosa); experiments have been conducted with starches from potatoes, corn, and rice. The paste will not penetrate the fiber; rather it provides a protective covering, keeping the paper from decomposing due to oxidation. The paste also acts as an adhesive, and can be mixed into the vat of pulp before forming the sheet of paper. Or, the paste can be added to the dry of paper, through various techniques (acuarela, aguada).
While conducting this experiment, it became obvious that we should dye the paper, and we experimented with several artificial dyes. The dyes adhered very well, but after three months, they began to fade, and finally disappeared altogether. Therefore, we decided to research natural pigments and mordent, conducting various tests in order to determine the correct amount of pigment to use. We tested the following pigments:
- Achiote
- Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
- Carmín del la cochinilla (Genipa)
- Nogal (nucalis)
- Avocado
- Dyes used by the Shur tribe: (Cumbia) (Pitajaya) (Guaba) (Sua)
The shade of each dye depends on the time of year the plant is harvested. Most pigments are found in flowers, fruits, and leaves, but during the cold season, they can be found in tree bark and tree trunks. Pigments obtained from plants are also affected by the acidity of the soil, as well as by the amount and kind of minerals present in the soil. These factors can affect the intensity, brightness, and durability of the dye. To extract the dye, boil the plant or bark; the amount of time will vary according to each plant.
Extraction from red cabbage:
Take the cabbage and cut it into pieces small enough to handle easily. Boil the cabbage for an hour or until the dye starts to seep out of the plant. Then, while cooking the plant, add a mordent, such as lime. For every 1000 ml of water, add 100 ml of lime. When we added the mordent, we quickly noticed a change in the intensity of the dye (it became much redder). Next, add the fiber, leaving it in the pot until all of the liquid has been absorbed or boiled off. Add vinegar to increase the shininess of the dyed fibers and to ensure that they hold their color. Immediately wash the fibers with color water, and hang them to dry on a clothesline.
CONCLUSION:
- We rescued parts of plants that are considered waste: from the banana (pinzote), from the palm (leaves), and from the coconut (the shell); and recycled them to create natural-fiber paper.
- To help preserve the environment while making paper, short-cycle plants should be used (they reproduce faster), and the amount of fiber used should be taken into account as well.
- The use of a paste is highly useful in making paper, as it reduces the humidity of the paper, which allows one to use various techniques (aguasa, acuarela, etc) to add dyes and pigments.
- The use of artificial mordent weakens the fiber; the use of natural mordent achieves a better adherence of the dye to the paper.
- This project reaffirmed the fact that natural-fiber paper is a valuable resource for artistic works, and be used in photography, performances, marbling, acuarela, and sculpture.
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