Super-Arundo donax as a potential non-wood raw material for the pulp and paper industry: Effect of different cooking conditions on alkaline semi-chemical pulp and paper properties

Abstract

With increasing global demand for paper, concerns about deforestation caused by conventional wood pulp production have highlighted the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. This work explored Super-Arundo donax as a promising substitutable non-wood raw material applied for pulping and papermaking. This research aimed to optimize the process conditions of two alkaline semi-chemical pulping (NaOH and NaOH: Na₂CO₃) from Super-Arundo donax by investigating the effects of different alkali dosages, cooking temperatures and times on the pulp and paper properties. The results showed that the optimum process conditions for NaOH semi-chemical pulping and NaOH: Na₂CO₃ semi-chemical pulping were NaOH dosage of 9 % N₂O and NaOH: Na₂CO₃ (4:1) of 12 % N₂O, cooking temperature of 130 ℃, cooking time of 90 min, solid-liquid ratio of 1:6, respectively. Under these parameters, the yield of NaOH semi-chemical pulp was 65.2 %, while the yield of NaOH: Na₂CO₃ semi-chemical pulp reached 65.68 %. Moreover, the tensile index, tear index and ring crush index of two papers made from NaOH and NaOH: Na₂CO₃ semi-chemical pulps under optimal conditions were 33.5 N·m/g, 6.33 mN·m²/g, 11.9 N·m/g and 30.5 N·m/g, 6.08 mN·m²/g, 11.6 N·m/g, respectively. The excellent physical strength properties were relevant to the dense fibrous network displayed on the surface morphology of the formed paper. The findings demonstrated that Super-Arundo donax semi-chemical pulp fiber presented a viable alternative for paper production to traditional wood pulp fiber, contributing to sustainable advancements in the pulp and paper industry.