Title
Lignocellulosic agricultural residues - a virgin fibre supply solution for paper-based packaging
Authors
ADRIAN CATALIN PUITEL NARCISA MARIN PETREA PUIU and DAN GAVRILESCU

Published Volume 49 Issue 7-8 July-August
Keywords alkaline pulping, sodium carbonate, straw pulp, virgin fibres

Abstract
The current work focuses on determining the suitability of wheat and oat straws (Triticum aestivum, Avena sativa) as raw materials for papermaking pulp production. One of the first objectives of the study was to establish the chemical composition of these raw materials in terms of major constituents (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin) contents, as well as minor constituents (extractives and ash). The studied raw materials contain 70-75% holocellulose, 35-42% cellulose and 18-22% lignin. These values uphold their use as raw materials for pulping, which was the second step of this study. The yield, kappa number and viscosities of the obtained pulps have been determined. The obtained experimental values for pulp yield in soda pulping ranged from 35 to 45% and proved to be higher in sodium carbonate pulping. Finally, the strength properties of the pulp were evaluated for handsheets obtained before and after beating the pulp at 40 ºSR.