ARTIFICIAL PAPER FROM PUTTARAKSA (CANNA INDICA LINN) AND PLUBPLUENG (CRINUM ASIATICUM)

Puttaraksa (Canna indica) and Plubplueng (Crinum asiaticum) are plants used for decorative landscaping. Their branches and leaves are cut and discarded to enhance the beauty and attractiveness of the flowers. The discarded parts of the plant are burned, which releases greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Therefore, this research focused on developing a method for producing paper from the leaves of Puttaraksa and Plubplueng. Pulp was produced from these leaves by using three bases; NaOH, KOH and ash solution in a concentration range of 1-5 % (w/v). The pulp was then boiled in a range of 5-25 minutes. The optimal conditions to produce Puttaraksa paper were 15 minutes boiling time in 4% (w/v) KOH. The chemical components of this paper were 93.74 % holocellulose, 1.55% lignin, and 3.66 % extractives. The physical properties of this paper were 66.43 % brightness, 400 mN tearing resistance, and 1.0 kg/cm2 bursting strength. The optimal conditions to produce Plubplueng paper were 15 minutes boiling time in 4% (w/v) ash solution. The chemical components of this paper were 93.25% holocellulose, 5.41% lignin, and 4.24% extractives. The physical properties of this paper were 68.08% brightness, 340 mN tearing resistance, and 0.5 kg/cm2 bursting strength. The chemical and physical properties of paper produced from Puttaraksa were similar to paper from mulberry. However, physical properties of Puttaraksa paper were better than those of Plubplueng paper, which make Puttaraksa the better alternative for paper production.