Abstract
The main objective of this work was to evaluate pulp produced by kraft cooking for wood materials (WMT) (Bougainvillea spectabilis, Ficus altissima, and F. elastica) and non-wood materials (NWMT) (Sorghum bicolor and Zea mays stalks) and to study the fungal activity of handsheets treated with Melia azedarach heartwood extract (MAHE) solutions. Through the aforementioned analyses, the ideal cooking conditions were determined for each raw material based on the lignin percentage present. After cooking, pulp showed a decrease in the Kappa number produced from WMT, ranging from 16 to 17. This was in contrast with NWMT, which had Kappa numbers ranging from 31 to 35. A difference in the optical properties of the pulp produced from WMT was also observed (18 to 29%) compared with pulp produced from NWMT (32.66 to 35.35%). As for the evaluation of the mechanical properties, the tensile index of the pulp ranged from 30.5 to 40 N·m/g for WMT and from 44.33 to 47.43 N·m/g for NWMT; the tear index ranged from 1.66 to 2.55 mN·m2/g for WMT and from 4.75 to 5.87 mN·m2/g for NWMT; and the burst index ranged from 2.35 to 2.85 kPa·m2/g for WMT and from 3.92 to 4.76 kPa·m2/g for NWMT. Finally, the double fold number was 3 compared with that of pulp produced from pulp, which showed good values ranging from 36 to 55. In the SEM examination, sheets produced from treated handsheets with extract from MAHE showed no growth of Aspergillus fumigatus over paper discs manufactured from B. speclabilis pulp wood. Pulp paper produced from Z. mays and S. bicolor stalks was treated with 1% MAHE, while pulp paper from F. elastica was treated with 0.50% and 1% MAHE. With the addition of 0.5 or 1% MAHE, Fusarium culmorum showed no increase in growth over the paper manufactured from B. speclabilis, F. altissima, F. elastica and Zea mays pulps with visual inhibition zones found. There was almost no growth of S. solani in paper discs manufactured from pulps treated with 1% MAHE. This is probably due to the phytochemical compounds present in the extract. The HPLC analysis of MAHE identified p-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeine, rutin, chlorogenic acid, benzoic acid, quinol, and quercetin as the main compounds, and these were present in concentrations of 3966.88, 1032.67, 834.13, 767.81, 660.64, 594.86, and 460.36 mg/Kg extract, respectively. Additionally, due to the importance of making paper from agricultural waste (stalks of S. bicolor and Z. mays), the development of sorghum and corn with high biomass is suggested.
Highlights
There are shortages of conventional raw materials that are used for the production of pulp and paper products
Examination by scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the extent of fungal growth on paper discs taken from wood treated and untreated with Melia azedarach heartwood extract (MAHE) and inoculated with each of the three fungi using the JFC-1100E ion sputtering device at 8 kV [7,8,30]
At MAHE concentrations of 0.50% and 1%, F. culmorum showed no growth on paper discs manufactured from B. speclabilis, F. altissima, F. elastica, and Z. mays pulp, with visual inhibition zones found (Table 7), while no growth was found following treatment with 1% MAHE on paper discs made from S. bicolor pulp
Summary
There are shortages of conventional raw materials that are used for the production of pulp and paper products. Non-wood raw materials are characterized by a low density and more porous structure, with a lower lignin content in most cases They require less energy and chemicals to separate fibers during pulp production than wood species do [11]. Sorghum stalks (Sorghum bicolor) can be used as an alternative source for pulp production They are characterized by short fibers and a high proportion of fine fibers, so they can be used to produce low luminosity printing and kraft paper [12]. Kraft pulping is used for wheat or barley straw [37,38] and for pruning olive tree wood [31,35] It is used for Leucaena leucocephala, Cytisus proliferus, and Hesperaloe funifera [39,40], Cynara cardunculuns L.
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