Refining Hemp Fibers for Papermaking

Abstract

Hemp, an annual plant that grows well in the temperate climate, is an alternative fiber source. While there are data on its disk refining, there is little available about its behavior in other pulping equipment. This paper focuses on a series of tests conducted with the Szego Mill™ SM 440 equipped with four plastic rollers to determine its suitability in refining hemp fibers. The resulting pulp was mixed with Kraft pulp and then the strength and optical properties were measured. A comparison in the performance of the mill in refining wood chips and hemp is presented with respect to fiber properties and paper quality.

Key Words:

• Non-wood fibers
• wood and hemp fibers
• mechanical pulping
• paper properties