Ecologically friendly modified green liquor method for enhancing the technological properties of sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum officinarum L.) pulp

Abstract

Ordinary kraft pulping of bagasse was adjusted by utilizing green liquor at the laboratory and research of Misr-Edfu Pulp, Writing and Printing Paper in a small pilot batch digester (Edfu, Aswan, Egypt) as an environmentally friendly method. Bagasse pulp was produced with and without green liquor, and the physical and mechanical properties of unbleached bagasse were assessed. The parameter states of cooking were completed utilizing antacid substance charge from 10% to 13%, cooking temperature from 160 to 170 °C, cooking time from 20 to 50 min, and solid to liquor ratio of 7:1 that was steady in all preliminaries. The results demonstrated the exploratory idea that green liquor can provide critical pulping advantages in comparison with customary kraft pulping. Screened pulp yield improved 2.6%, rejects content decreased 0.9%, kappa number was reduced by 26.9%, and brightness was increased by 3%. There also was improved mechanical quality of bagasse pulp: increases of 14.3% (tensile index), 8.7% (tear index record), 4.6% (burst index), and 15.4% (double fold number) were observed compared with conventional kraft pulping. This process also saved money related to the expense of depleted vitality, lime consumed during causticizing process, and upkeep of the causticizing plant.