Thesis Proposal 3

Polymerization of Sorbed Saccharum officinarum Bagasse Cellulose for the Production of Polysaccharide-Based Plastics as Substitute to S oft PVC Blanco, T.N.S., Co, J.C.H., Dela Cruz, J.S., De Leon, J.R.V. INTRODUCTION The Philippine sugar industry, the country's oldest and leading export earner, is a very important sector of the economy. Average sugarcane production over the past ten years was 23 million metric tons which yielded 2,243,700 metric tons of sugar from about 411,00 0 ha planted to sugarcane (FAO Document Repository). Out of this volume, it is estimated that 1.17 million tonnes (30% moisture) of sugarcane trash is recoverable as a biofeedstock in the Philippines. Sugarcane produces two types of biomass: cane trash (field residue remaining after harvesting the cane stalk) and bagasse (milling byproduct remaining after extract ing the sugar from the stalk). The potential value of these residues and byprodu cts created by the Philippine agricultura l industry has traditionally been ignored. For many years, bagasse has been used mainly as fuel by sugar mills during milling seasons, but there is plenty of bagasse available that cannot be used as fuel. A small amount is used as feed, the surplus bagasse being left just to rot around the sugar mills where it permits proliferation of pests and insects. Likewise, attempts have been made to use sugarcane bagasse for feeding animals, but the cost of treating or fermenting bagasse to make it suitable for feed has been the biggest problem. Aside from the problems brought about by such agricultural wastes generated in the country, one growing topic of debates is the hazards imposed by the use of soft PVC·s mostly used to manufacture toys. The current debate around soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) toys focuses on whether the risk to children from exposure to hazardous additives that leach during use is significant enough to warrant immediate or long-term restrictions or prohibitions of this plastic. Soft PVC contains up to 50% by weight of plasticizers, usually phthalate esters, which are not chemically bound to the plastic and therefore leach or migrate. Laboratory studies demonstrate that the phthalates may cause cancer and reproductive harm, and emerging evidence points to some phthalates as possible hormone disrupters. With this, scientists continue to look for all possible bio-based substitutes for soft PVC·s that requires no phthalates for manufacturing final products of required properties. In the long term, bio-based polymers, made from renewable sources, are preferable to any of petrochemical plastics for products which have relatively short lifecycles such as toys. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM There are two major point problems arising in this study: First, waste generation from sugarcane residues poses large burden on its d isposa l and optimization of use. A total of 5.6 million MT (643, 900 MT of which is bagasse) recoverable sugarcane trash can be optimized all over the country with its highest in Negros Region. Second, big risks are posted in the use of soft PVC·s for toy manufacturing. Soft PVC contains up to 50% by weight of plasticizers, usually phthalate esters, which are not chemically bound to the plastic and therefore leach or migrate. Therefore, it could lead to

Thesis Proposal 3

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