American engineers from Stanford University in California have developed a method to produce a highly absorbent material from sisal, a fiber obtained from the leaves of the succulent plant Agave sisal. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Communication Engineering (CommEng).
The authors suggest that their discovery could be used to produce disposable menstrual pads in rural regions with arid climates.
The scientists treated the agave fibers with peroxyformic acid and sodium hydroxide and then air dried them. They found that the finished material absorbed water more efficiently than commercially available pads; 23.9 grams of water versus 15.2 grams per gram of material.
The authors calculated the amount of raw materials and energy required to produce processed sisal and compared them with previously reported data for the production of softwood and bleached cotton, which are often used in commercial menstrual pads. They estimate that producing one kilogram of processed sisal in the laboratory produces 3.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide and consumes between 44.6 and 119.6 kilograms of water.
In comparison, the production of one kilogram of processed softwood emits 0.5 to 1.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide and consumes 61.8 kilograms of water, while the production of one kilogram of bleached cotton emits 1.6 to 5.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide gas and consumes 64.5 to 64.5 kilograms of water. It consumes kilograms of water. 139.5 kilograms of water.
Because sisal can be harvested year-round in arid regions, scientists suggest it could be used as an alternative to cotton or softwoods in the local production of disposable menstrual pads in low- and middle-income regions.
Russian scientists before learned Turn waste into durable protective coating.