EVALUATION OF PULP AND PAPER MAKING PROPERTIES OF CAESALPINIA DECAPETELA

The world demand for wood and non-wood fiber has increased due to the increasing population and new applications of fiber. Therefore, to cop up the limited wood and non-wood fiber resources introducing alternative raw material in pulp and paper industries is necessary. This study aims to evaluate the pulp and paper making properties of Caesalpinia. decapetela based on proximate chemical composition, fiber morphology and physical test of the final product. Proximate chemical analysis showed that C. decapetela has holocellulose content 78.14±0.1 % and lignin content 18.0±0.04 %. Fiber morphology revealed that the fibers were 0.708 mm long, 18.63 μm width and have 5.1 μm cell wall thicknesses. The Kraft pulping was performed at optimized condition (active alkali content of 15 %, the temperature of 160 o C and cooking time 90 minutes keeping the sulfidity 25 %) produce pulp yield 44.1%. The effect of pulping on fiber morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy which showed the surface of fiber before pulping was tight, orderly arranged and the texture was relatively hard. After pulping, there was the removal of lignin; hemicellulose and cellulose. Due to this fiber become soft loosened and contain micro-pores. Pulp produced was bleached, sheet preparation and testing were performed. The prepared paper sheets have tensile index 28.19 Nm/gm, burst index 1.359 kPa.m2/gm and tear indices 4.2 mN.m2/gm. The yield of alpha-cellulose produced from C. decapetela was 43 % w/w which is higher than rice straw and comparable with many species of bamboo.