Study of pulping technology on disposable tableware using withered leaves as raw material

Abstract

Disposable tableware is widely used around world due to its advantages such as sanitation, thermal preservation and low price. However, more and more countries are restricting the use of disposable tableware due to its difficulties in recycling and degradation in the natural environment. If disposable tableware is made of photobiodegradable PP plastic or high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), it is difficult to degrade and has a great impact on the earth environment. In this study, four kinds of withered leaves were selected as raw materials and mechanical chemical pulping method and caustic soda pulping method were used for experiments. The main processes include pulp preparation, adsorption and drying. The experiment indicated that withered leaves of magnolia grandiflora was the best raw material for making recyclable tableware.