Evaluation of characteristics of kraft pulp made from rice husks

Abstract

In this study, we explored the possibility of using rice husks as raw materials for manufacturing kraft pulp. Various kraft pulps were prepared using pulping with different active alkali (AA) proportions and reaction times. The characteristics of the prepared samples were determined and compared with those of commercial kraft pulps. The optimal pulping conditions needed to obtain the highest fiber yield of rice-husk unbleached kraft pulp (RH-UKP) were 25% AA with a reaction time of 2 hr. Under these conditions, most of the silica was removed from the epidermal tissue of the rice husks, and individual fibers could be separated efficiently. Moreover, RH-UKP prepared under the optimal pulping conditions had relatively lower fiber lengths and fiber widths than those of commercial pulps, but fiber properties similar to that of hardwood bleached kraft pulp was observed. Therefore, rice husks can be a resource for kraft pulp production. ? 2020 Korean Technical Assoc. of the Pulp and Paper Industry. All rights reserved.