Evaluation of Giant Reed as a Raw-material for Paper Production

Abstract

Giant reed soda/anthraquinone and kraft/anthraquinone pulps were bleached with ECF and TCF bleaching sequences. The resulting pulps were characterised by delignification degree, pulp viscosity and ISO brightness. The best results were obtained with the XOQDPD bleaching sequence. Pulps bleached with this sequence were further characterised in terms of fibre biometry, refining aptitude and physical properties using an industrial eucalypt bleached kraft pulp as a short fibre pulp reference. The properties of giant reed pulps were similar to that of the reference pulp at different refining degrees. In order to observe how giant reed fibres behave with chemical additives used in papermaking, handsheets were prepared with a common dry strength additive added to the pulp suspension, at different concentrations. Testing of these sheets for the main strength properties showed that Giant reed pulps display higher internal cohesion strength than eucalypt pulps at the same conditions of refining and additive concentration. These results suggest that this species is a promising fibre source that can be blended with wood fibres to produce different grades of paper.