Chemical Characteristics and Kraft Pulping Response of Phyllostachys pubescens Stems

Abstract

Recently, it has been reported that bamboo is sometimes used as a raw material at some of kraft pulp mills. However, there are few findings on the relationship between the chemical conditions and the response to cooking and bleaching response. In this study, Phyllostachys pubescens, which was obtained in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, and recycled bamboo, which was obtained in Hangzhou, China was chemically analyzed, kraft-cooked and bleached with totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching. In addition, P pubescens stem was compared with recycled bamboo, and Eucalyptus grandis wood. The lignin content of P pubescens stem was similar to that of E. grandis wood and the xylan content of P pubescens was high compared with the others. In obtaining pulps with given kappa numbers, the delignification response of P pubescens was equal to that of E. grandis and better than that of recycle bamboo. The hexenuronic acid content of P pubescens and recycle bamboo kraft pulp was lower than that of E. grandis. The brightness of unbleached pulp prepared from p. pubescens and recycle bamboo was much higher than that from E. grandis. The p. pubescens and recycled bamboo pulp gave higher brightness after oxygen bleaching than the E. grandis pulp.