Utilising Woody Fibre from Agricultural Crops

Abstract

SUMMARY The pulping and papermaking properties of some non-wood crops are reviewed and compared with conventional pulpwood species. Pulping trials have been made on Australian grown kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) and elephant grass (Pennisetum purpurum). In northern Australia under suitable conditions both give high yields of fibre per hectare. Kenaf can be separated by simple mechanical treatments into bark and woody fractions. Pulps prepared from the bark resemble softwood pulps in their general papermaking properties. The kenaf wood and the elephant grass pulps are short fibred and are more like hardwood plups. The draining properties of all these pulps are poorer than those of conventional wood pulps. The possibilities of using the stem and leaf material from grain sorghum, cassava stems and abaca fibre are also considered.