ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain.
Sec. Circular Economy
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsus.2025.1628095
Sustainable Paper from Agricultural Residues: Differentiating Treatment Effects in Banana Pseudostem Fibers Using X-STATIS Multiblock Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Erika Romero-Cárdenas
Byron Romero-Romero
Diego Tapia-Núñez
Xiomara Zúñiga- Santillán
Juan Diego Valenzuela Cobos*- State University of Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador
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The sustainable valorization of agricultural waste streams is essential to advancing circular economy models and reducing the environmental impact of industrial production. This study explores the potential of banana pseudostem (Musa spp.), an abundant agro-industrial byproduct from tropical agriculture, as a renewable raw material for eco-friendly papermaking. Four treatment conditions were applied to the extracted pulp: untreated, naturally fermented, starch-enhanced, and mechanically re-homogenized. Each treatment was replicated, and key physical-mechanical properties-basis weight, caliper, and tear resistance-were evaluated. To analyze structural differences and assess treatment consistency, a multiblock data integration approach using Partial Triadic Analysis (PTA)also known as X-STATIS-was employed. Results showed that natural fermentation improved fiber bonding, starch addition significantly enhanced mechanical strength, and excessive homogenization reduced structural integrity. These findings demonstrate the viability of banana pseudostem as a sustainable lignocellulosic resource for paper production, supporting waste valorization strategies and contributing to the development of circular bioeconomy practices in tropical regions.
Keywords: Banana pseudostem fibers1, Sustainable papermaking2, Agricultural waste valorization3, Circular bioeconomy4, Partial Triadic Analysis (PTA)5, Lignocellulosic materials6
Received: 13 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Romero-Cárdenas, Romero-Romero, Tapia-Núñez, Zúñiga- Santillán and Valenzuela Cobos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Juan Diego Valenzuela Cobos, State University of Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador
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