Effect of Acetic Acid Prehydrolysis on Unbleached Bamboo Pulp Production

keywords:acetic acid  prehydrolysis  bamboo  unbleached pulp  kraft pulping

Abstract:Bamboo was used as raw material for unbleached pulp production. An acetic acid prehydrolysis process was employed before the pulping process. The effect of acetic acid prehydrolysis on pulp properties was investigated. The results showed that some components, such as hemicellulose and extractives, were degraded or dissolved in the prehydrolysis process prior to kraft pulping. SEM images of the substrate after treatment indicated that the parenchyma cell wall was thinner, and the size of pores between fiber bundle cell walls was larger. The pulping results showed that acetic acid prehydrolysis could improve the pulp quality and make the pulp easier to bleach. The brightness of the pulp reached 59.6%ISO with a single oxygen delignification step. The acetic acid prehydrolysis decreased pulp viscosity and fiber length, but not significantly. The amount of parenchyma cells in the pulp was reduced, which was beneficial for papermaking and improving mechanical strength of paper. This procedure has good potential for unbleached pulp production.