Co-cooking Non-woods with Hardwoods, 2013 PEERS Conference

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Agricultural residues and energy crops are promising resources that can be utilized in the pulp and paper industry offering low feedstock costs, but are difficult to process as pure feedstocks due to high ash and low strengths[1]. This study examines the potential of co-cooking non-wood materials with hardwoods as means to incorporate non-wood material into a paper furnish. Specifically, miscanthus, switchgrass and corn stover were substituted for poplar hardwood chips in the amounts of 10, 20, and 30 wt % and the blends were subjected to kraft pulping experiments. The pulps were then bleached with an OD(EP)D sequence and then material was refined and formed into handsheets to characterize their physical properties. Surprisingly, all three co-cooked pulps showed improved strength properties (up to 35%).