The Morphological and Pulping Indices of Bagasse, Elephant Grass (Leaves and Stalk), and Silk Cotton Fibers for Paper Production

Abstract

ABSTRACT Non-wood fibers are projected as fast-growing resources and sustainable alternate materials to reduce deforestation and enhance efficiency in the pulp and paper industry. This paper addressed the paucity of data on the fiber morphological characteristics (Fiber Length, Diameter, Lumen Diameter, and Wall Thickness) and pulping properties (Slenderness Ratio, Rigidity Coefficient, Flexibility Coefficient, Runkel Ratio, Solids Factor, and Luce’s Shape Factor) for Silk Cotton, leaves and stalk of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane Bagasse found in Ghana, especially, as environmental variations may cause differences in regional data. Observed values for the studied parameters were within the suitable range for paper production and differed from those reported for other regions. Elephant Grass (stalk) and Bagasse that had higher values of Fiber Length (4101.42 ± 197.89 and 3960.20 ± 194.35 µm), Diameter (60.03 ± 1.82 and 59.85 ± 1.72 µm), Lumen Diameter (33.33 ± 1.76 and 35.97 ± 1.38 µm), Wall Thickness (13.35 ± 0.83 and 11.94 ± 0.55 µm), Slenderness Ratio (70.8 ± 4.2 and 67.2 ± 3.4), and Flexibility Coefficient (55.7 ± 2.3 and 55.7 ± 2.3) would perform better during paper production. They would exhibit good physico-mechanical properties suitable for manufacturing flexible, high tearing, elastic, dense, smooth, and well-formed papers with high tensile and bursting strengths. Silk Cotton may also produce good papers with low tearing index, well-bonded, rigid, bulky, and coarse textured.