Corkboards Case

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the background of the study, the statement of the problem and of the hypothesis, the significance of the study, the scope and delimitations, and the definition of terms in the research study.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Cork board

Corkboards are composed of dead cells that accumulate on the outer surface of the cork oak tree. It is a unique tree material. It has a honeycomb-like structure which makes it very easy to compress. Cork consists largely of empty space; its density weight per unit volume is one-fourth that of water. Cork boards consist of irregularly shaped and spaced cells having an average of 14 sides. It is like many layers of microscopic Bubble Wrap, making it an effective cushioning material. Cork absorbs neither dust nor moisture, and it resists both rot and insects. It is also used for polishing diamonds. Cork boards maybe used as bulletin boards or dartboards.

Typically, a cork board is used as a bulletin board, because the resilient nature of cork makes it ideal for sticking pins and tacks into. Cork boards can come in a wide variety of sizes, and they are very useful for schools, hospitals, and other environments where information needs to be posted for everyone to see.

Gramineae Saccharum officinarum L. is commonly known as bagasse or filter cake. It is the fibrous waste product left after the sugarcane is crushed and its juice is extracted. On dry basis, it contains approximately 49% cellulose, 26% pentosan and 19% lignin. It is regarded as waste product but can also be used as a locally-grown source for manufacturing cellulosic ethanol. Bagasse is currently used as fuel boilers of sugar mill to generate power and electricity for the plant.

Bagasse is one of the most notable agricultural crops that are used in paper production. It is thought that bagasse has the added advantage over other forms of papermaking feedstock in that it requires fewer greenhouse gases to collect, compared to harvesting of wood chips, as the fiber has already been transported to the factory for extracting the sugar. However, there has not been a full study to support this claim. Because bagasse can be chemically pulped with ease, it requires less bleaching chemicals compared to wood pulp to achieve brighter and whiter sheet of paper.

Cork board is composed of cellulose. Since bagasse, on dry basis, is composed mostly of cellulose, the researchers made a study regarding bagasse a substitute component in cork board making.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The researchers aimed to find answers to the following questions:

General:

1. Can