THE STUDY ON THE PRODUCTION OF PULP AND PAPER HAND SHEET FROM ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS (OKRA STEM)

Abstract

The increase in the global consumption of paper and allied products has remained a topical issue in recent time. Wood contributes the major raw material used for the production of pulp and paper worldwide and this has led to the incessant depletion of forestry products with resultant environmental degradation. This present work involves the use of raw material of Abelmoschus esculentus (okra stem), a non-woody cellulosic biomass wastes for pulp and paper industries. Pulp production of the A. esculentus was carried out using Kraft pulping process with NaOH and Na2S alkali cooking liquor and various characterizations was carried out using the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) Standards. The paper characterization i.e. tensile and tear strength property of the Kraft paper hand sheets and hydrogen peroxide bleached paper were analyzed using the Saumya Universal Testing Machine (UTM) model UTM D2. The yield of the Kraft Pulp obtained was 62 % while the hydrogen peroxide bleached pulp gave a pulp yield of 75 % resulting in 13 % increase in the yield of pulp. The Kappa number obtained was 29.8. The values for the Ash content, Lignin content, Moisture Content, NaOH Solubility, Hot Water Solubility, Cold Water Solubility and Extractive content were 6.60 %, 6.78 %, 5.0 %, 33 %, 13.26 %, 8.43 % and 48.20 % respectively. The results of the paper characterization that bleached paper gave 1.60 Kgf, 0.40 mm, 106.67 Kg/cm2 , 1000.00 Kg/cm2 and 3.80 mm values for Yield Load, Yield elongation, Tensile Strength at Yield Load, Tensile Strength at Breaking Load and Elongation at Maximum Load respectively. While the Kraft paper hand sheets gave the values of 4.70 Kgf, 0.50mm, 313.33 Kg/cm2 , 433.33 Kg/cm2 and 1.20 mm for Yield Load, Yield elongation, Tensile Strength at Yield Load, Tensile Strength at Breaking Load and Elongation at Maximum Load respectively. The overall results showed that Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra stem) can be used as a viable alternative biomaterial for the production of pulp fibers to boost the availability of fibers for the production of pulp and paper products.