Environmentally friendly pulping and bleaching of bagasse

Abstract

Depithed Sudanese bagasse was examined for its suitability for pulp production. Bagasse fibre dimensions, morphological and chemical characteristics are reported. The pulping trials were carried out with soda-AQ and alkaline sulphite-AQ (AS-AQ) methods and soda method as reference. The AS-AQ pulping gave the best results in yield, degree of delignification, mechanical and optical pulp properties. Blending of bagasse and bamboo alkaline sulphite-anthraquinone pulps in different ratios gave well-balanced pulp strength characteristics with good tensile and tear indices, widening the range of different end products from bagasse pulp. Totally chlorine free bleaching (Q1O/PQ2P) of the best unbleached bagasse pulps gave bleached pulps of 76.9% ISO brightness, suitable for use in writing and printing grades of paper. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.