PRODUCT INNOVATION CHARTER

EC MASK

MEDICAL FACE MASK MADE FROM WATER HYACINTH (Eichhornia crassipes)

FIBER

Submitted by:

LEADER: Lorenzo, Mary Pauline B.

MEMBERS:

Custodio, John Christopher

Licayan, Jereena Andriane M.
Nakazawa, Yamato D.
Ramos, Louiejee
Villagomez, Kharen

Submitted to:

Prof. Roxanne A. Castro

June 2021
 CHAPTER 1
BACKGROUND

Ever since this pandemic started, the lifestyle we all get used to turn upside down. As a
part of the “new normal”, we are all forced to wear masks as protection from the corona
virus. There was even a time when we experienced shortage for surgical masks and other
hygiene related items because lots of people panicked-buy masks, alcohol, sanitizers and
anything related to hygiene. Although the shortage was solved, the government still
control the quantity each individual can buy.

As time goes by, we are all forced to embrace this system. The authorities had to slowly
let the work force go back to work for the sake of the economy and the livelihood of the
citizens. Due to this, masks and face shields became a part of our daily lives especially
for those going out of their homes. Many people were seen to be wearing surgical masks,
due to their light weight, low cost, and experts' belief that they are the most effective in
preventing the spread of the infection. And as lots of people were allowed to go out, the
widespread usage and improper disposal of these single-use masks became a huge
problem. There were even times used disposable masks are found under water or littered
in the streets. These masks are made of non-renewable and non-biodegradable
polymers, which have negative effects on the environment. That is why a disposable
mask made from natural fibre with low cost should be made.

Water hyacinth is very abundant in the rivers and natural waters. And this could be
harmful to the ecosystem underwater. These water plants lower the oxygen in the water
making it hard for fishes and other aquatic species to survive. That’s why these plants
should be eliminated from the water.

This is an opportunity to make use of this harmful plant in making biodegradable masks.
Not only will the problem in water hyacinth be solved, but also the problem regarding the
unavoidable excessive waste of non-biodegradable masks.

CHAPTER 2
FOCUS

Technology Dimension

The mask was made of a unique material unlike those that we use that are made of
polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene or polyester. This one is made of water hyacinth
fiber. We chose water hyacinth fiber as the main material to make a mask because there
is a lot of benefits that can be derived from such material. First, the purpose is to control
and conserve environmental condition. Second Water Hyacinth can absorb metals like
copper and lead from industrial sewage and living place sewage. It can also absorb
mercury and lead melt in the liquid.

Water Hyacinth can absorb minerals and inorganic substance from the sewage. It can be
grown rapidly in every kind of condition. As a result, after using it to clean the sewage, it
is brought to use as organic fertilizer like compost or mulching. And if we use this water
hyacinth fiber as a mask it dissolves easily unlike the mask that we use today which can
be seen in the sea and has caused damage to the ecosystem.

Market Dimension

Millions of people are suffering from this pandemic disease like COVID19 an infectious
virus owing to which millions of people have already died. Moreover, social distancing
and use of face mask is only way to keep people away from infectious virus like COVID19.
In addition, to avoid scarcity of face mask government has initiated more investment in
its manufacturing activity, which fuels the growth of the mask in the market. The
advantage of the water hyacinth fiber mask is that it is unique, have a good texture, eco-
friendly, affordable price and it can help the environment. It can catch the attention of the
consumer because of the texture. The target market of our product is available to all the
people (any age, gender, status in life, etc.) especially now that using a mask is must to
protect ourselves not to have a virus. The water hyacinth fiber mask has a good flexibility,
simple and easy effectively, have a good particle filtering, the mouth part of the mask can
stretch up and down and be fit to face, while the nose bridge that part of the mask is very
convenient to press and fit to the bridge of the nose.

Target Market for EC Mask

• It ensures the comfortability of this mask to all the people against the virus even
the material is made up of fiber.

• It is easily decomposed unlike the material of the mask that we used today.

• It can prevent the entry of particulates and also prevent bacteria.

• The cost is cheap, eco-friendly, and has a good texture.

 CHAPTER 3
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The on-going COVID-19 disease has a huge impact not only on human health, but also
on the state of the country's economy and the normal routine of the population. Face
masks are worn as primary personal protective equipment (PPE) to control the
transmission of the virus. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, the production
and use of face masks increase rapidly which contributes more to plastic pollution that
threaten the aquatic organisms and the environment, in general. We strive for the long-
term objective of providing sustainable solutions to lessen the environmental
consequences caused by face mask waste while meeting the mask demand. The
sustainable approach is to use natural plant fiber in the production of face masks.

In the Corona pandemic, the lack of PPE puts medical personnel at risk. Water hyacinth
has the advantage of being abundantly accessible, growing quickly without the need for
seeding, weeding, or fertilizing, and does not require land area. It costs nothing, and
harvesting would be an act of environmental favor. As a result, we want to deliver an eco-
friendly product by launching a large quantity (3,000-6,000 boxes) of facemask made of
water hyacinth fiber into our first target market within the province of Cavite which are
Bacoor, Imus and Dasmarinas City. We intend to maintain raw material cost as low as
30% of our profit while selling high-quality products that are affordable to consumers. We
are aiming for at least 90% positive user feedback in the first three months after launching
the product and by the middle of the year we want to have established our product known
throughout the whole region of Luzon.

CHAPTER 4
GUIDELINES

The product quality should follow the standards set by the authorities. Since the product
is a personal protective equipment (PPE) used by medical personnel and ordinary citizens
as primary protection from the virus, it should pass the quality standards set by the World
Health Organization (WHO). Due to this, the product will have to undergo series of tests
to meet the standards and be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Expenditure for research and development is expected to be large to ensure quality and
competitiveness of the product.

Since there are already a lot of masks competing in the market, intensive promotion and
advertising is needed to raise awareness regarding the product. It is important to choose
informative, catchy and practical advertisements. In addition, taking this opportunity that
masks are in demand all around the world would be a good strategy. Stating the
advantages such as it is eco-friendly and helps in securing the cleanliness and safety of
the marine life could be a good point.

The product is made from water hyacinth fibre, which is very abundant in the waters of
the country, so the actual cost of the product would be cheap. The packaging materials
should be an advertisement in itself that it shows in a catchy and brief way the key points
of the product.

The making of the product for testing is expected to be around two months. The testing
period for standard qualifications up to possible improvements is expected to be one to
three months. Therefore, the product is expected to be available for the market in around
six to seven months. During the time when the product is being improved for standards
compliance, intensive advertisements should commence, so that the general public would
be aware and curious of the product.

Other specific considerations should be discussed and improved as the project progress.

CHAPTER 5
MATERIALS AND PROCESSES
MATERIALS

 Water Hyacinth
- a type of invasive floating plant found in water bodies across the world. These
invasive species block the sunlight reaching and oxygen level in water systems,
which results in damaging water quality and serious affecting various life forms in
the ecosystem.
 ZnO nano-particle
- It is used to make the water hyacinth fiber more hydrophobic in nature
 Sodium Metabisulfite
- It is used to prevent the water hyacinth fiber from rotting as it is a preservative
agent
 Sodium Hydroxide
- Also known as caustic soda or lye. It is used in cleaning and disinfecting
products and is a co-product of chlorine production.
 Soap
- Solubilizes particles and grime, which can then be separated from the article
being cleaned.
PROCESS

Cleaning Treatment for Water Hyacinth Stem

Water Hyacinth stem was taken for chemical treatment to improve absorbency of the
fiber. The stems was soaked into the sodium hydroxide and soap solution with normal
water. Stems are soaked for three hours, after this treatment. Rinse the stems with water
to remove excess sodium hydroxide and soap solution present in the fiber and kept it in
dark place to maintain the moisture present in it. After soaking the stem in chemical
substance, the water hyacinth is extracted using decorticating machine.

Water Hyacinth Fiber Extraction

The mechanical extraction, a semi-automatic mechanical extraction machine was used;

the treatment was carried out to reduce the fiber size. This method involves a five-step
process, as follows: (1) placing the stems in the machine, (2) fiber collection, (3) fiber
tightening, (4) fiber scouring, and (5) fiber drying. One positive way of using mechanical
force was roller grinding, which produced fast and efficient results with low cost. The outer
shell of the stem was continuously scraped to obtain the fibers.

Nonwoven Manufacturing Process

Nonwoven manufacturing can be described in simple terms as a series of manufacturing

steps consisting of forming a fibrous web, entangling or bonding the fibers in the web to
impart mechanical integrity to the structure and finishing/converting the fabric to impart
some special properties to the fabric that the customer specifies. The manufacturing steps
are described below:

Web Formation

The characteristics of the fibrous web are a key determinant of the physical properties of
the final product. The choice of methods for forming webs is determined by fiber length.
Initially, the methods for the formation of webs from staple-length fibers were based on
the textile carding process, whereas web formation from short fibers was based on a wet
laid process similar papermaking. These technologies are still in use, but methods based
forming a web directly from filaments immediately they exit an extruder (spun laid) have
also been developed.
Fibrous webs have little mechanical strength and a further manufacturing process is
necessary to form a fabric with useful properties. There are number of processes which
are used to accomplish this as described in next section.

Web bonding

Needle punching is a process of bonding nonwoven web structures mechanically

interlocking the fibers through the web. Barbed needles, mounted on a board, punch
fibers into the web and then are withdrawn leaving fibers entangled. The needles are
spaced in a non-aligned arrangement are designed to release the fiber as the needle
board is withdrawn.

Stitch bonding is a method of consolidating fiber webs with knitting elements with or
without yarn to interlock the fibers. There are a number of different yarns that can be
used. Home furnishings are a market for these fabrics. Other uses are vacuum bags, geo-
textiles, filtration and interlinings. In many applications stitch-bonded fabrics are taking
the place of woven goods because they are faster to produce and, hence, the cost of
production is considerably less.

Thermal bonding is the process of using heat to bond or stabilize a web structure that
consists of the WH fiber. All part of the fibers act as thermal binders, thus eliminating the
use of latex or resin binders. Thermal bonding is the leading method used by the cover
stock industry for baby diapers. It is also soft to touch. The fiber web is passed between
heated calendar rollers, where the web is bonded. In most cases point bonding by the
use of embossed rolls is the most desired method, adding softness and flexibility to the
fabric. Use of smooth rolls bonds the entire surface of the fabric increasing the strength,
but reduces drape and softness.

Chemical bonding is the process of bonding a web by means of a chemical and is one of
the most common methods of bonding. The chemical binder is applied to the web and is
cured. The most commonly used binder is latex, because it is economical, easy to apply
and very effective. Several methods are used to apply the binder and include saturation
bonding, spray bonding, print bonding and foam bonding.

Hydro entanglement is a process of using fluid forces to lock the fibers together. This is
achieved by fine water jets directed through the web, which is supported by a conveyor
beit. Entanglement occurs when the water strikes the web and the fibers are deflected.
The vigorous agitation within the web causes the fibers to become entangled.

Finishing and converting

Finishing and converting are the last operations performed on the fabric before it is
delivered to the customer. Finishing includes operations such as coating and laminating,
calendaring and embossing to impart particular surface properties, corona and plasma
treatments to change the wetting properties of the fabric, wet chemical treatments to
impart anti-stat" properties, anti-microbial properties, flame retardant properties etc.

Chemical treatment for hydrophobicity

To keep the finished fiber from rotting, it is treated with sodium metabisulfite. Glow
discharge plasma was used to treat water hyacinth fiber to make its surface more
hydrophobic in nature for various uses. At room temperature, plasma-treated fibers
were coated with manufactured phase pure ZnO nano-particles to increase
hydrophobicity and UV light protection.

After finishing the fabric, it is cut to the size of the mask. This is known as converting.

Water hyacinth leaves for nose strip

Soft embedded bridge rib made of water hyacinth leaf is embedded in the wing parts of
the mask, allowing the wing parts to be conveniently pressed to fit the bridge of the face.

How to make water hyacinth fiber into yarn for the earloop

Step 1: Blow room process

Step 2: Carding
Step 3: Combining
Step 4: Drawing
Step 5: Roving
Step 6: Cone winding

Blow room
The term "Blow Room" refers to a location where "Air Flow" is processed. The bales that
were delivered in are transformed into small stuff here.
Simply put, compressed bales are opened, cleaned, and blended/mixed according to
length in the blow room to create a specified size of lap.

Carding
Carding is described as the "heart" of the spinning process since it determines the finished
characteristics of the yarn. The treated bales will open up in single fiber here. It appears
that removing the left contaminants on the surface of the fiber, straightening it, and
separating the short fiber will be simple.

Combining
In the combining stage, the yarn is straightened again since it is laid out in a parallel
pattern. The left short fiber, on the other hand, will be entirely eliminated from the longer
staple fiber. As a result, the staple fabric will be thicker and smoother.

Draw frame
This is a device that is used for drafting and drawing. The application of feeding numerous
intermediate strands into a single strand is known as doubling. Fiber laps are reduced to
slivers through drafting.

Rover/Ring frame
To make roving yarn, the yarn is processed into a speed frame. In a spinning machine,
this is the first phase where twist is added to hold the fibers in place. The roving yarn has
a little greater diameter than the finished yarn. In the same way, ring frames are used to
make completed skeins from roving yarns. As a result of these ring frames, yarn has a
higher level of strength.

Cone Winding
Cone winding is a basic packing method that serves as a link between the end of the yarn
manufacturing process and the beginning of the fabric production process. Yarn Cone
Winding Machine is a popular warp yarn winding machine that can also be used for hank
to cone winding. Tension mechanism that adjusts to varied yarns to keep the yarn tension
consistent while winding, ensuring that the tension is consistent both inside and out. The
tension can also be adjusted on the Yarn Cone Winding Machine to increase yarn quality
and manufacturing efficiency.

To make the face mask

• Stack right sides of 3 pieces of non-woven fabric from water hyacinth fiber together
ensuring all raw edges of fabric are aligned. Be sure that any fabric design is placed
horizontally.
• Insert the nose strip in between the 2nd and 3rd layer of the mask.
 • Pin one end of a fabric tie underneath the raw edges at
each of the top corners using the hyacinth fiber yarn. After that,
at each of the bottom corners, pin one end of a fabric tie above
the raw edges.
• Begin sewing around the outside of the mask with a 14”
seam. Begin at the bottom and sew along one side of the mask
before moving up to the top and at the place where the nose
strip belongs. Leave a 2–3-inch gap along the mask's fourth side.
• Turn mask fabric right-side out. Use a pencil to help push out the seams in the four
corners.
• Press the mask, being sure to line up and fold in any remaining open edges of the
fabric.
• Measure 2 or 3 equally spaced folds (about 1”) on either side of the mask with
straight pins or an iron. Make sure the folds are all going in the same direction.
• Sew a ¼” seam down the sides of the mask to keep the folds in place and close
the little open seam.

CHAPTER 6
DOCUMENTATION
Cleaning treatment for the water hyacinth stem

The first step is harvesting the raw material. The raw material can be found in the
river or ponds in the Philippines. Water hyacinth is a perennial plant which strives in
water bodies like rivers and lake. Although this plant was
treated as pest, this is also a good opportunity for some.
Water hyacinth is a plant known for its fiber

The second step, separation of the stem. Removing the

leaves and roots from the stem. After separation wash the stem
with normal water.

After washing the stem, soaked it in sodium hydroxide and

soap mixture for 3 hours. The rinse the stem with water to
remove the excess mixture and kept it in a dark place.
Extraction of the fiber

After the stem is being treated, the extraction of the fiber is performed. Using the
decorticating machine, place the stem to the machine. It is a manual machine where the
person who is performing the insertion of the stem is the one who will pull it out.

After extracting the fiber from the water hyacinth,

collecting of fiber is the next process. And the next process
is the fiber tightening.

The fourth process is the fiber scouring. “Scouring” is the textile term for cleaning
fibers prior to mordanting and dyeing, and does not refer to
washing fabrics in a washing machine. Scouring is different than
washing fabrics, and if you are scouring, you do not need to pre-
wash the fibers. All fibers should be pre-wet so absorption is
even.

The last step is the fiber drying. This step will take up to 1 week to be done. This
is being done by air dry.

Making the water hyacinth fiber into yarn for the earloop
 CHAPTER 7
COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGE
Layers of the mask

Orthographic Views
Front and Back View

Side
and Top View

Face Mask with Manniquin

REFERENCES
K. Sangeetha, S. Punitha, Bhuvaneshwari M. 2015, August. Processing of Water
Hyacinth Fiber to improve its absorbency. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318702053_Processing_of_Water_Hyaci
nth_Fiber_to_improve_its_absorbency

Chonsakorn S, Srivorradatpaisan S, Mongkholrattanasit R. 2018, March Effects of

different extraction methods on some properties of water hyacinth fiber. Retrieved
from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323888030_Effects_of_different_extracti
on_methods_on_some_properties_of_water_hyacinth_fiber

Arndt E. 2020, April 13. Homemade Face Mask Instructions. Retrieved from
https://www.ecommunity.com/giveppe/homemade-mask-instructions

New Cloth Market. (n.d). Non-Woven Manufacturing. Retrieved from

https://www.technicaltextile.net/articles/nonwoven-manufacturing-7188