Title
Preparation of paper sheets from cellulosic fibres obtained from Prunus amygdalus and Tamarisk sp
Authors
NABAWIA MECHI RAMZI KHIARI ELIMAME ELALOUI and MOHAMED NACEUR BELGACEM

Received April 17, 2015
Published Volume 50 Issue 7-8 July-August
Keywords Tamarisk sp., Prunus amygdalus, chemical composition, pulping, papermaking

Abstract
This work is devoted to the valorization of two residues: Prunus amygdalus and Tamarisk sp. First, their chemical compositions were studied according to standard methods. The results revealed that the existing amounts of holocellulose, lignin and cellulose were close to those encountered in other annual plants and non-wood species. The amount of extractives in different solvents and the ash contents were found to be relatively high. The second part of this work focuses on the use of a classical soda-anthraquinone process to produce cellulosic fibres from two plants. The ensuing fibres were characterized by several methods, such as FT-IR analysis, ATG-DTG and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the cellulosic fibres arising from these two plants were used successfully in the preparation of paper sheets. The mechanical properties, air permeability and morphology of the prepared materials were assessed. Furthermore, the pulps exhibited good drainage ability, while the ensuing papers excellent mechanical properties. Thus, these agricultural by-products were found suitable for valorization into cellulose fibres, for papermaking applications, and could also be used to obtain cellulose derivatives and/or fibre-reinforced composite materials.