Kenaf CMP Pulp; An Alternative Potential to Supplement Wood Shortages for Making Newsprint, 2009 TAPPI Engineering, Pulping, Environmental Conference

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Utilization of non-wood plant fibers, including annual plant fast- growing kenaf, as a pure pulp or in blend with wood- based pulps, indicated to be the most practical means to supplement the fiber shortages in paper industry. In this respect, a comparative laboratory scale study has been conducted to evaluate the potentials of whole kenaf CMP pulp suitable for newsprint, in comparison with plantation fast- growing wood species of aspen (P. deltoides) and eucalypt (E. cameldolensis ), as an alternative potentials to supplement the forest- based mixed hardwood shortages in the MWPI newsprint mill in Iran. The results indicated that: 1) CMP pulping of whole kenaf, to achieve a digester pulp yield of about 85%, was much faster and easier than the wood species, 2) at similar pulp yield and freeness and at even higher brightness and similar tensile and burst strengths, kenaf pulp had much higher bulk, opacity and tear strength than forest-based mixed hardwood CMP pulp (75% hornbeam + 25% beech), 3) by using up to 30% of whole kenaf pulp in blend with mill made mixed hardwood CMP pulp, all the paper properties including bulk, optical and strength properties, have been improved, 4) aspen CMP pulp, at similar brightness, had much lower bulk and opacity, but at considerable higher strengths than eucalypt, 5) whole kenaf CMP pulp had much higher bulk, opacity and tear strength, but at lower burst and tensile than aspen CMP pulp, and 6- at similar brightness and tensile strength, whole kenaf CMP pulp had higher bulk and opacity, but at lower burst and tear strengths. The overall results of this study indicated that, whole kenaf is an excellent alternative raw material to substitute wood species, for making suitable CMP pulp, which may be used as a pure pulp or in blend with wood pulps, for production of good quality newsprint .