Potential of non-wood fibres for pulp and paper-based industries
The global demand for wood fibre has increased due to increasing population and new applications for wood fibre. Therefore, to supplement the limited wood fibre resources, non-wood fibres have been introduced as alternatives in pulp and paper-based industries. This study aims to use non-woods as pul...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/7908/ http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/7908/1/ASHUVILA_BT_MOHD_ARIPIN.pdf |
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| Summary: | The global demand for wood fibre has increased due to increasing population and new applications for wood fibre. Therefore, to supplement the limited wood fibre resources, non-wood fibres have been introduced as alternatives in pulp and paper-based industries. This study aims to use non-woods as pulp in paper-making industry: promoting the concept of “from waste to wealth” and “recyclable material”. Hence, the objective of this study is to determine the potential of cassava peel, cocoa pod husk, cogon grass and oil palm leaf as alternative fibres for pulp in paper-based industries based on its chemical, physical and mechanical properties. The chemical properties involved in this study (holocellulose, cellulose, hemicellulose, ash content, hot water and 1% NaOH solubilities) were determined according to relevant TAPPI test, Kurscher–Hoffner and Chlorite methods. Meanwhile, fibre dimension and pulp properties were measured after the pulping process. The mechanical strength of handsheet produced (tensile, burst, tear and fold) was investigated according to the TAPPI test method. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to observe and determine the morphological characteristic of the handsheet surface. In order to propose the suitability of the studied plants as alternative fibre resources as pulp in papermaking, the obtained results are compared to other published literatures from wood resources. Results show that the lignin (5.67%), hot water (3.83%) and 1% NaOH (19.64%) solubility contents of cogon grass are the lowest compared to cassava peel, cocoa pod husk and oil palm leaf. The contents have influenced the production of the highest pulp yield which is 35.68%. Although cogon grass contains shorter fibre than oil palm leaf, the handsheet product showed the highest tensile (45.06 Nm/g), burst (3.90 kPa.m2/g) and tear (2.17 mN.m2/g) indices when compared to oil palm leaf (12.08 Nm/g, 0.95 kPa. m2/g and 1.80 mN.m2/g) and published wood resources. From SEM images, handsheet of cogon grass contains compact, straight and smooth fibres. In conclusion, apart from the chemical, pulp, physical and mechanical properties and the surface morphology of the cocoa pod husk, cogon
grass and oil palm leaf sheets indicate that they are suitable to be used as alternative fibres for pulp and paper-based industries with cogon grass being the best. |
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