Papermaking potential of congress grass: pulpability and fiber characteristics.Application: This study provides initial indications that congress grass, a weed that has spread through much of India, may be a useful fiber source for papermaking. The search for new and prospective sources of fibrous raw materials for papermaking is never ending. We decided to evaluate Parthenium hysterophorous L., a weed, commonly known in India as congress grass, for its paper making potential. The study included pulping runs by soda and soda anthraquinone anthraquinone /an·thra·quin·one/ (an?thrah-kwin´on) 1. the 9,10 quinone derivative of anthracene, used in dye manufacture. 2. any of the derivatives of this compound, some of which are dyes. processes to judge the suitability of the new raw material. We also examined the resulting pulp fibers by microscope for their basic characteristics. The new raw material was found to be convertible to an acceptable quality pulp with 40% to 45% yield, 24 to 34 kappa number The Kappa number is an indication of the lignin content or bleachability of pulp. It measures the amount of bleach required during digestion of a wood pulp (part of the process of paper making) in order to obtain a pulp with agiven degree of whiteness. , and 21 to 25 ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. brightness for the unbleached pulp. The pulp contained a variety of cell types besides fibers that were found to be short, thin, and slender with a moderate intrinsic fiber strength. Initially the raw material was tested for its proximate proximate /prox·i·mate/ (prok´si-mit) immediate or nearest. prox·i·mate adj. Closely related in space, time, or order; very near; proximal. proximate immediate; nearest. chemical analysis and compared with those of common papermaking raw materials. Pulping experiments were carried out in reaction bombs immersed in a heated laboratory digester di·gest·er n. 1. One that makes a digest. 2. Chemistry A vessel in which substances are softened or decomposed, usually for further processing. Noun 1. filled with water. We then tested washed and screened pulps for yield and residual lignin lignin (lĭg`nĭn), a highly polymerized and complex chemical compound especially common in woody plants. The cellulose walls of the wood become impregnated with lignin, a process called lignification, which greatly increases the strength and content. They were further tested to see the extent of carbohydrate degradation during pulping. Both optical and electron microscopes were used to study the fundamental characteristics of the pulp fibers. Fiber length and fiber coarseness were compared with those of commonly known raw materials. Finally laboratory handsheets were prepared and tested for their physical and strength properties. Presently, congress grass is known only lot its negative attributes as a hardy weed that thrives in almost all climatic conditions and usurps every piece of marginal land. However, we have found that the raw material has general similarities with hardwoods and other nonwoods, both in terms of proximate analysis (Chem.) an analysis which determines the proximate principles of any substance, as contrasted with an ultimate analysis. See also: Proximate and fiber characteristics. It may be worthwhile to explore the possibility of congress grass being used in conjunction with other raw materials as a partial replacement. Ghatak is assistant professor, Chemical Technology Department, S.L.I.E.T., Longowal--148106, Punjab, India; email h_r_ghatak@yahoo.com. |
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