The Effectiveness of the Bio-Wax Extract from Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Waterproofing Paper

Abstract

A paper plays an important role in our daily life as students. Paper is used in writing our lecture and doing projects. For most students, keeping lectures safe from being wet during rainy seasons and unavoidable circumstances is a struggle. It makes students feel disappointed once it gets wet especially during submission of the notebook, project, and other academic requirements that made use of paper. Based on researches, the hydrophobicity of taro is due to the bio-wax on its surface and can be extracted; the researchers thought that the bio-wax could be used as a coating to paper to make it waterproof as well. Our study determined the effectiveness of the Bio-Wax Extract from Taro in waterproofing paper. It showed the behaviour of the droplet of water once placed on the surface of the coated and the non-coated paper. In addition, the percentage of absorption ability to water of the coated and the non-coated paper was compared. The bio-wax causing the hydrophobicity of Taro was extracted by immersing 375 grams of taro leaves to chloroform and separated the solution using cheesecloth. Then, we extracted the bio-wax from the solution with the use of a rotary evaporator. After the procedure, we used the bio-wax extract from taro as a coating to a paper. We cut the papers, coated by the extract and the non-coated papers and measured the masses. Then, we submerge the papers to water and measure their masses again. The statistical result revealed that the ability of the coated paper to absorb water decreases compared to the non-coated paper. Also, we dropped water on the surface of the papers, the drops of water on the non-coated paper was absorbed while the drops of water on the coated paper with taro shaped into a sphere just like when water was dropped on the surface of a taro leaf. As per Water Absorption ASTM D570, Water absorption is expressed as an increase in weight percent. Percent Water Absorption = [(Wet weight -Dry weight)/ Dry weight] x 100. The percentage of absorption of the non-coated paper is 70.58% while that of the paper with taro is 18.27% only. The result of the study showed the effectiveness of the bio-wax extract from taro in waterproofing paper. Further experiments will provide strong evidence of the effectiveness of the bio-wax extract from taro in waterproofing paper.