Papyrus Australia Ltd is the developer of a world-first technology that
converts the waste trunk of the banana palm into alternatives to forest
wood products to be used in the paper, packaging, furniture, building,
construction and other industries.

Papyrus technology products have qualities not found in existing wood-based products due to the ability to preserve the inherent natural qualities of the banana tree trunk.

Some of the characteristics of the Papyrus technology products include:

• Natural water resistance, fire resistance and UV resistance
  
• Non-permeable and will not transmit grease, oils, solvents or moisture, even at low thickness. They are compatible with most adhesives and will not transmit these chemicals prior to cure
• Require no sanding and less sealing and coating
• Interchangeable with existing wood-based panel products including plywood, particleboard, medium density fibreboard (MDF), insulating board and hardboard
• Compatible with existing construction methods and practices. The Papyrus technology products have been successfully internally benchmarked against existing wood-based products and can be cross referenced to any international particleboard standard such as BSEN 312 P4 to P1 or ANSI A208.1
• The natural strength of banana fibres gives excellent panel product strength. As fibres run the entire width of each veneer sheet, it provides excellent structural properties, especially if multiple layers are laminated at 90° to one another
  
• Panel products have true isotropic physical properties allowing for improved designs and construction methods, including the ability to screw into the edges of panels and loading on multiple axes. Veneer can also be applied to curved surfaces and around edges, allowing new designs and applications
• Papyrus panels are manufactured without formaldehyde resins and have emissions far below the strict E0 European low formaldehyde and the USA (HUD 24) standards
• As the Papyrus technology uses no chemicals during manufacture, there is no possibility of chemical contamination of the product during production. The product range can be rated as safe for direct food contact.

All these characteristics of the Papyrus technology process and products make the products commercially competitive with existing wood-based products.

Types of products

The natural structure of the banana tree trunk gives two distinct types of Papyrus technology products: panels (at this stage, thickness from 6 to 54 mm, density from insulating (~300kg/m3) to hardboard (~900kg/m3)) and veneer (custom-designed grain and colour).

Diagram representing a cross section of the Banana tree trunk

Product applications

The Papyrus technology products include a range of panel and veneer products that have appeal in a diverse range of markets. Potential applications of the Papyrus products include:

• Flooring, skirting boards, staircases, decks and balconies
• Doors, door jambs, architraves, windows, trim and cornices
• Furniture, kitchens, vanities, fireplaces, sheds and garages
• Divider walls, internal fittings, ceilings, external walls and signs
• Veneer trim in luxury products, including yachts, motor vehicles, etc.

Here are examples of products that have been created using Papyrus veneer: