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ABSTRACT
The production of bleached cellulose pulps from elephant grass (Miscanthus sinensis) via a two-stage soda pulping process and a TCF bleaching sequence is evaluated in this work. The impregnation rapid steam pulping process (IRSP) involves impregnating of the lignocellulosic material with the pulping liquor, withdrawing the excess liquor and rapidly steaming the impregnated material at 180–200°C for a short time. In this paper the process variables and their effect on the kappa number, yield and viscosity of the unbleached pulps are discussed. Bleaching by an ozone-based TCF sequence was tested, and the papermaking properties of the bleached pulp were determined. A kappa number of 19 was obtained by impregnating at an alkali charge of 30 + 0.1% anthraquinone carboxylic acid (AQCA) and pulping at 180°C for only 15 min. Kappa was reduced to 16 by extending pulping time to 26 min. The alkali consumption during impregnation and pulping was 10.2 g NaOH/100 g of dry Miscanthus. Screened pulp yield, viscosity and brightness for this pulp were 54.6%, 913 mL/g and 37.3%, respectively. After bleaching, the pulp had an ISO brightness of 87.4% and a viscosity of 700 mL/g. Refining in a PFI mill provided optimal strength properties of the bleached pulp at 4500 revolutions (71°SR): breaking length 7.2 km, tensile index 72 N m/g, and burst index 4.3 kN/g. Tear index was 7.9 mN m2/g at this degree of refining.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are indebted to the Spanish Government and the Catalan Regional Government for funding (projects QUI980464-CO301, QUI980463-CO303 and 1998SGR-00098). Claudia Barba and Ana de la Rosa are obliged to the Rovira i Virgili University and the Catalan Regional Government (grant 2000FI 00443) for financial support. We greatly acknowledge the collaboration of Professor M. Bao Iglesias (Santiago de Compostela University) for supplying the samples of Miscanthus sinensis, and to Mr. A. Clemente during experimental procedures.
