Chapter 1 of Durian Pulp Thesis

1. Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Introduction
Paper is a fundamental part of the society. From the past generations until now, the
paper industry is one of the industries that contribute to our everyday life. Therefore, the
demand for paper is expected to increase. Today the finest papers are produced all over
the world. But one disappointing fact is that millions of trees are used to make paper.
From simpler paper making processes in the past, the production of paper continued to
evolve that can be seen at the very present times as how technology is used to produce
paper to meet such great demands for it.
An alternative solution for this problem is to find an alternative material for
creating paper that can benefit us and would create better opportunities in the field of
business. Durian is widely known and revered in Southeast Asia, distinctive for its large
size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The Philippines is producing
various durians annually, with majority of production areas located in Mindanao. The
flesh and seeds make up around 60 percent of the fruit, while the husk or skin which is
generally considered waste material represents 40 percent. Hence, every year, we are
producing more than thousands of durian husks, which usually end up in the garbage
dumps or worse, are just left along the sides of the streets to rot. Instead of just dumping
durian peelings to waste, it could be utilized as one of the raw materials in making
handmade paper. This action will contribute a lot of benefits both economically and
environmentally.

2. 2
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to produce a handmade paper form durian peelings. Specifically,
the mechanical properties of the different treatments were evaluated in terms of:
a. Density
b. Tearing strength
c. Flammability
d. Water Absorption
Null Hypothesis
Durian Handmade Paper is significantly comparable to commercially available
handmade paper in terms of:
a. Density
b. Tearing strength
c. Flammability
d. Water Absorption
Significance and Importance of the Study
The relevance of this study is that it contributed to the preservation of trees and
introduced a new source of fiber for paper making. It also helped in reducing waste
materials such as durian peelings and converted them into a useful product like paper.

3. 3
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The researchers aimed to focus on testing the capacity of Durian pulp as an
alternative material for paper making. The researchers only evaluated the mechanical
properties of the handmade papers in terms of density, tearing strength, flammability and
water absorption. Four treatments were formulated with three replications, namely T0
commercially available abaca paper, T1 Handmade paper with 150 grams durian peelings
pulp and 30 mL cornstarch, T2 175 grams durian peelings pulp and 30 mL cornstarch, T3
grams durian peelings pulp and 30 mL cornstarch. Production of paper was conducted at
Balagtas Street, General Santos City. The products were tested at MSU-CETD Physics
Laboratory.
The following terms was discussed in the study and was defined for further
clarifications operationally:
Durian Peelings. These refers to the dried strips of durian peelings which were used as a
component for making handmade paper.
Handmade Paper. Durian peelings as the source of fiber were made into handmade
paper.
Conceptual Framework
Paradigm
Figure # 1
Conceptual Paradigm
DURIAN
PEELINGS
HANDMADE
PAPER

4. 4
Paper is composed of thousands of fibers. Durian peels contain both soluble and
insoluble fibers. It is also composed of pectin, lignin and cellulose. These factors are the
basis of the researchers in creating handmade paper from durian peelings.
Durian is widely known and revered in the Southeast Asia as ‘the king of fruits’, the
durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk. Its
unique properties make it a suitable source of pulp which has a high content of fiber. This
study was conducted to add more knowledge about handmade paper using durian peelings
as a source of pulp.The produced papers were subjected to different tests to determine its
mechanical properties in terms of density, tearing strength, flammability and water
absorption.