Automatic Abaca ( Banana Leaf Fiber ) Decorticator Machine

Abaca fibre, which is widely known as manila hemp, is versatile and flexible in use. It used to be

mainly used in industrial cordage, handicraft, fashion products such as hats and accessories, home and house ware and decorative products. Nowadays Abaca shows promise as an energy-saving replacement for glass fibres in automobiles. Abaca is extracted from the leaf sheath around the trunk of the Abaca plant a close relative of the banana, native to the Philippines and widely distributed in the humid tropics. Harvesting Abaca is labourious. Each stalk must be cut into strips which are scraped to remove the pulp. The fibres are then washed and dried. Abaca is a leaf fibre, composed of long slim cells that form part of the leaf's supporting structure. Lignin content is a high 15%. Abaca is prized for its great mechanical strength, buoyancy, resistance to saltwater damage, and long fibre length – up to 3 m. The best grades of Abaca are fine, lustrous, light beige

in colour and very strong.

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