Evaluating the Absorption Properties of Plantain Fiber-Based Absorbent Cores for Sustainable Sanitary Pads 


Vol. 27,  No. 2, pp. 1031-1040, Feb.  2026
10.1007/s12221-025-01244-0


PDF
  Abstract

Sanitary pads are vital for feminine hygiene, and there is growing interest in developing affordable and eco-friendly alternatives. Among various materials explored for this purpose, plantain fibers have received limited attention. This study aims to fill this research gap by investigating the use of plantain fibers extracted from waste pseudo-stems as absorbent cores for sanitary pads. The fibers underwent chemi-thermomechanical treatment, followed by bleaching with 5 wt% hydrogen peroxide. Comprehensive characterization using FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that the treated plantain fibers (PFAC) retained essential functional groups conducive to effective absorption. The absorbent cores were rigorously tested for absorption capacity, fluid retention, liquid strike-through, rewet, and absorption rate. The PFAC demonstrated an absorption capacity of 810% and a strike-through time of 7.8 s seconds, while the commercial sample (Always) showed an absorption capacity of 700% and a strike-through time of 2.8 s. Although the PFAC had slightly lower fluid retention (90.7%) compared to the commercial samples, it exhibited superior absorption characteristics. This study highlights the potential of utilizing waste plantain pseudo-stems as a sustainable and efficient resource for developing absorbent materials, offering a promising alternative for environmentally conscious and cost-effective sanitary pad production.

  Statistics
Cumulative Counts from November, 2022
Multiple requests among the same browser session are counted as one view. If you mouse over a chart, the values of data points will be shown.


  Cite this article

[IEEE Style]

J. A. Alabi, G. S. Gbekie, E. Ayaaba, M. A. D. Rockson, E. E. Mensah, E. E. Nettey-Oppong, E. Asare, "Evaluating the Absorption Properties of Plantain Fiber-Based Absorbent Cores for Sustainable Sanitary Pads," Fibers and Polymers, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 1031-1040, 2026. DOI: 10.1007/s12221-025-01244-0.

[ACM Style]

Joshua Atta Alabi, Gabriella Selorm Gbekie, Ebenezer Ayaaba, Mizpah Ama Dziedzorm Rockson, Emmanuel Essel Mensah, Ezekiel Edward Nettey-Oppong, and Eric Asare. 2026. Evaluating the Absorption Properties of Plantain Fiber-Based Absorbent Cores for Sustainable Sanitary Pads. Fibers and Polymers, 27, 2, (2026), 1031-1040. DOI: 10.1007/s12221-025-01244-0.

Search
(IN TITLE, AUTHOR, ABSTRACT,KEYWORDS)

Advanced Search ▼

POPULAR KEYWORDS
(TOP 10 KEYWORDS)

Recent Publications
(LAST 3 YEARS)

pISSN : 1229 - 9197
eISSN : 1875 - 0052

Impact Factor(2024): 2.3