Manufacturing of Fluff Pulp Using Different Pulp Sources and Bentonite on an Industrial Scale for Absorbent Hygienic Products

Abstract

In this study, for the first time, a composite fluff pulp was produced based on the combination of softwood (i.e., long-length fiber), hardwood (i.e., short-length fiber), non-wooden pulps (i.e., bagasse) and bentonite, with specific amounts to be used in hygienic pads (e.g., baby diapers and sanitary napkins). After the defibration process, the manufactured fluff pulp was placed as an absorbent mass in diapers and sanitary napkins. Therefore, tests related to the fluff pulp, such as grammage, thickness, density, ash content, humidity percentage, pH and brightness, tests related to the manufactured baby diapers, such as absorption capacity, retention rate, retention capacity, absorption time and rewet, and tests related to the sanitary napkin, such as absorption capacity and rewet, were performed according to the related standards. The results demonstrated that increasing the amount of bagasse pulp led to increasing the ash content, pH and density of fluff pulp and decreasing the brightness. The addition of bentonite as a filler also increased ash content and pH of fluff pulp. The results also demonstrated that increasing of bagasse pulp up to 30% in combination with softwood pulp led to increasing absorption capacity, retention rate, retention capacity, absorption time and rewet of baby diapers and of sanitary napkins.

Pemanfaatan Serat Daur Ulang Popok Bekas pada Pembuatan Kertas dan Karton

“…Di Amerika Serikat, pulp fluff dibuat dari kayu serat panjang (softwood), sedangkan di Iran digunakan campuran pulp kayu serat panjang yang diperoleh dari impor dan serat non kayu lokal yaitu bagas atau ampas tebu. Apapun sumber seratnya, pulp yang digunakan untuk diapers diharapkan dapat memenuhi persyaratan seperti keruahan tertentu, kapasitas penyerapan tinggi, waktu penyerapan yang singkat dan ketahanan tarik yang tinggi, selain persyaratan panjang serat (Ismaeilimoghadam et al, 2022).…”

“…Pulp fluff yang merupakan sumber serat yang digunakan dalam pembuatan popok adalah pulp serat panjang dari kayujarum (softwood). Serat pulp fluff yang terbuat dari kayujarum (softwood) memiliki panjang serat rata-rata 2,5 mm (Ismaeilimoghadam et al, 2022). Sedangkan menurut Kakonke et al (2019), panjang serat pulp fluff untuk popok sekali pakai dan serat hasil daur daur ulangnya berturut-turut 2,45 mm dan 2,4 mm.…”

“…Hal ini dikarenakan serat daur ulang popok bekas berasal dari pulp fluff yang merupakan jenis pulp yang diputihkan (bleached pulp). Tingkat kecerahan (brightness) merupakan salah satu persyaratan yang penting bagi pulp fluff (Xu et al, 2017;Rebola et al, 2021)2 h. Tingkat kecerahan pulp fluff umumnya cukup tinggi, yaitu lebih besar dari 80 % (Ismaeilimoghadam et al, 2022).…”

“…Indeks retak (kN/g) Gambar 3. Indeks tarik (Nm/g) itu, serat pulp fluff dari kayujarum (softwood) memiliki panjang serat rata-rata 2,5 mm (Ismaeilimoghadam et al, 2022).…”