abstract pulp and paper from oil palm frond

ABSTRACT

In this study, the research is to determine effect of different AcOH charge (%, v/v) on pulp and paper properties made from oil palm frond (OPF). The pulping process is one of the organosolv pulping which called acetic acid pulping. OPF were pulped with 50, 60, 70 and 80 % AcOH charge. The four different conditions of AcOH charge were carried out under the same pulping conditions which were 30 minutes for heating time to the cooking temperature 170 ºC and were maintained for 60 minutes. The ratio of liquor to raw material was 7:1. Then, the cooked pulp was washed and screened. Freeness was measured by using the Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) tester. Handsheets made were dried in the condition room. The handsheet tests were then carried out in the condition room which maintained at constant temperature (around 23±2°C) and constant relative humidity (around 50±2%). The handsheets were tested for their physical properties (weight, thickness, grammage and density), optical properties (brightness and opacity) and mechanical properties (tensile test, bursting test, tearing test and folding test). From the result, the screened yield remained quite constant in the range of 6.59–7.51 % with the increasing of AcOH charge from 50 to 70 %. Finally, the screened yield increases to 9.49 % at highest AcOH charge of 80 %. The rejected yield is decrease with the increasing of AcOH charge. Kappa number decreases from 59.084 to 48.752 when AcOH change from 50 to 80 %. CSF freeness and average fiber length decrease when AcOH charge is increasing However, density and tensile index increased with increasing of AcOH charge at which the density increase from 0.3737 g/cm³ to 0.4999 g/cm³ while tensile index increase from 10.22 N.m/g to 23.93 N.m/g. Tearing index and TAPPI opacity remain quite constant with the increasing of AcOH charge. For bursting index, it decrease from 4.37 kPa.m²/g to 3.81 kPa.m²/g but finally increase at the highest AcOH charge of 80 %. The folding endurance remains as 1 double folds when AcOH increase from 50 to 70 % but finally increase to 2 double folds at 80 % AcOH. The brightness of handsheets produced increase from 8.93 % to 10.66 % with the increasing of AcOH charge from 50 to 80 %.