Lapachol from Indonesian teak (Tectona grandis) wood waste as a natural additive for alkaline cooking

Anthraquinone has been widely utilized in the pulp and paper industry as a catalyst for alkaline cooking; however, its application has been recently restricted due to its potential carcinogenic effects. Hence, safer alternatives to anthraquinone have been explored. Agro-industrial by-products have been utilized as sustainable sources of value-added materials. In this study, teak (Tectona grandis) wood waste from Gunung Kidul, Indonesia, which naturally contains lapachol, was utilized as a biocatalyst to enhance delignification and improve pulp yield in alkaline cooking for pulp and paper production. The use of lapachol as a cooking catalyst was investigated for kraft, soda, and prehydrolysis soda cooking. Lapachol accelerated delignification and retained carbohydrate in all three alkaline cooking methods, with its effect being more pronounced in kraft cooking than in soda cooking. This study demonstrates that teak wood extractives with lapachol are promising sustainable catalysts for alkaline cooking.