SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD
Rushdan bin Ibrahim, Ph.D. Wood, Paper & Coatings Technology School of Industrial Technology Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Pulau Pinang MALAYSIA Email: rushd@usm.my Web: http://www.ind.usm.my/ti/wpc/dr_rushdan.htm Abstract: One of the important factors in establishing a pulp industry in Malaysia is the availability of fibrous material either from wood and/or non-wood sources. These fibrous materials should be pulped easily and their pulps properties should be modified easily by beating or refining. In beating, the fibres are subjected to mechanical action to develop their optimal papermaking properties with respect to the product being made. Oil palm solid wastes and plantation forests have a good potential to be used as a raw materials for pulp and paper industries. In this work, oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, empty fruit bunch (EFB) and Azadiracta excelsa, sentang were pulped by soda pulping and the effect of beating on their fibre morphology were studied. The beaten and unbeaten fibres were made into fibre network for morphological measurements. It was found that, the yield and kappa number of EFB and sentang were different. More cellulose is degraded in EFB due to its material size. All fibre morphology parameters were decreased as the degree of beating was increased. The degree of change among fibre morphology was varies. Fibre curl index had the highest degree of change and lumen had the lowest. The degree of change among fibre morphology of EFB and sentang was varies. The differences in changes of pulp fibre are due to the different in chemical properties in their pulp fibres.

Key words: Azadiracta excelsa, beating, chemical properties, EFB, Elaeis guineensis, empty fruit bunch, fibre morphology, oil palm, sentang, soda pulping, yield. Introduction One of the important factors in establishing a pulp industry is the availability of fibrous material either from wood and/or non-wood sources. Plantation logs and non-wood fibre material expected to become more important as a source of industrial wood raw materials for Malaysia in the future (Shaharudin 1999). Sentang, Azadiracta excelsa, and oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), Elaeis guineensis, are two resources can be used for pulp industries (Ahmad Shakri & Abdul Rashid 1999, Khoo et al. 1991, Lubis et al. 1994, Rushdan 1999, and Wan Daud et al. 1998). ASEAN Tropical hardwood is mostly pulped by kraft pulping (Kuusisto 1997). The kraft process creates severe water and pollution problems because of the presence of sulfurcompounds (Renard et. al. 1981). One of the pulping processes that may be an alternative to the kraft process, a less polluted process, is soda or soda-anthraquinone process (Holton 1977). 1

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Much hardwood pulp and non-wood plant fibres are produced by soda process (Atchison 1983, Balodis 1991, and Smook 1992). In the soda process, the pulping chemical is sodium hydroxide (NaOH), an alkaline. The NaOH swells the wood largely than water, making the cell wall more accessible to the pulping liquor (Nolan 1970). The alkaline attack causes the lignin molecules to fragment into smaller segments that dissolved as phenolate or carboxylates (Smook 1992). Beating of pulp is one of the most important in the papermaking process. It referred to a mechanical treatment given to pulp fibres during their preparation for papermaking. The principal objective of the beating operation is to optimise fibre properties as efficiently as possible for papermaking requirement, in which the expenditure of physical energy during beating brings about both morphological and molecular changes. These modifications are dependent on four factors: pulp quality, process conditions, construction details and running conditions of the equipment (Levlin and Jousimaa 1988). Page (1989) pointed out that each beating method produces a different effect and, similarly, each type of pulp differs in the way it responds to a beating method. The fibre morphology is a property that can be directly or indirectly observed or measured as distinguished from the fibre chemical properties. The morphological properties have shown to explain from 70 to 90% of the paper property variation (Barefoot et al. 1964; Dinwoodie 1966). It was considered more important than the chemical variables. This paper exam the soda pulping of EFB and sentang wood and the effect of beating on the fibre morphological of EFB and sentang soda pulps. Materials and Methods Five hundred grams (oven dry) of EFB fibrous strands, provided by Sabutek (M) Sdn. Bhd., and sentang wood chips acquired from Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor were pulped separately by a soda process using a rotating digester at the School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia. The pulping conditions employed were: 1. Maximum cooking temperature: 170oC, 2. Time to maximum temperature: 90 minutes, 3. Time at maximum temperature: 90 minutes, 4. EFB to liquor ratio: 1:8 and wood to liquor ratio: 1:4 5. Amount of NaOH: 20% of EFB/sentang dry weight. At the end of each digestion, the softened EFB and sentang were washed on a screen and disintegrated for five minutes in a Thawing-Albert Lear Blend-A-Mill. The chemical properties of these pulps were analysed according to TAPPI Test Methods (1994). The screened pulp was beaten by Lampen mill at five different degrees: 0, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 revolutions at consistency of 0.3% of 24 g (oven dry) and the mill was rotating at 300 r.p.m. For fibre morphology analysis, the fibres were made into a low-density fibre network by dried down onto glass slides. The fibre morphology was measured by using image analyser. The fibre curl index was measured by Jordon and Pages method (Jordon and Pages 1981). Results and Discussion Soda pulping 2

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Results in Table 1 show that the total yield, screened yield and kappa number of sentang is greater than EFB by 10.71, 15.82 and 53.33% respectively but the sieve of EFB is greater than sentang by 238.55%. Table 1: Soda pulping of EFB and sentang. Total yield (%) Screened yield (%) Sieve (%) Kappa number EFB Sentang 43.79 48.48 37.73 43.70 6.06 1.79 15 23

The total yield, screened yield, sieves and kappa number are affected by the raw material, cooking liquor and cooking control (Clayton et al. 1989; Smook 1992). The cooking liquor and cooking control were the same for EFB and sentang. The main different are species and material size. Different species have different chemical composition and this difference affect the delignification rates and subsequently the pulp yield and kappa number (Clayton et al. 1989). The chemical composition of EFB and sentang are tabulated in Table 2. Table 2: Chemical composition of EF and Sentang (All results in percentage are based on o.d. material) (Khoo and Lee 1991; Norani 1997; and Peh et al. 1976). Ash content 1% NaOH soluble Hot water soluble Alcohol-benzene extractives Lignin Holocellulose Alpha-cellulose Pentosan EFB (%) Sentang (%) 0.7 0.28 11.72 20.5 2.8 15.0 0.9 10.8 17.2 27.2 70.00 56.3 42.7 35.8 27.3 14.8

EFB has more of ash content, holocellulose and alpha-cellulose but has less of lignin, pentosan and extractives compared to sentang. These differences in chemical properties will result the differences in pulp yield and kappa number. Second differences is the material size; EFB is a fibrous strand, whereas sentang is a wood chip with a size of 2 to 6 mm in thickness and 10 to 20 mm in diameter. Reduction in material size causes a faster delignification and too small material will produce lower yield (Smook 1992). This can be the reason EFB has a lower yield than sentang. EFB fibrous strands were not classified and containing numerous objectionable components: large under-defibrized strands, non-defibrized daw-like needles and scale-like non-fibrous material. These objectionable components are difficult to cook (Wan Daud et al. 1998). EFBs objectionable components increased the yield of sieves. Chemical analysis 3

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Results in Table 3 show that the percentage of pentosan in EFB is greater than sentang but its percentage of lignin, holocellulose and alpha-cellulose is lower. More lignin and cellulose are degraded in EFB compared to sentang. Table 3: Chemical analysis of EFB and sentang soda pulps. (All results in percentage are based on o.d. material) Lignin Holocellulose Alpha-cellulose Pentosan EFB (%) Sentang (%) 17.90 28.60 47.20 73.80 31.60 58.00 19.70 15.00

The lignin content of EFB is lower than sentang due to the higher rate of delignification since its size is smaller compared to sentang. Although the pulping is designed to remove lignin, the carbohydrate portion of wood is also attacked, with a significant loss of yield (Tasman 1992). Fibre morphology Results in Table 4 show that the unbeaten pulps of EFB fibres diameter, lumen, length and curl index are smaller in size than sentang but its cell wall thickness is thicker than sentang. Fibres diameter, lumen, length, curling index and cell wall thickness parameters are decreasing as the degree of beating are increasing (Figures 1 & 2). After beating, the EFB fibres diameter, lumen and curl index are less than sentang but its length is longer than sentang. The degrees of change of these parameters are different (Figure 3). Fibre curling index has the highest degree of change (24.39 to 93.90%) and lumen has the lowest degree of change (1.02 to 18.05%). EFB has the greater change in diameter and curl index than sentang but it has smaller change in lumen, cell wall thickness and length compared to sentang. Table 4: The effect of beating on EFB and sentang soda pulps fibre morphology. Degree of Beating (rev.) 0 1000 2000 4000 8000 Diameter (m) Lumen (m) Length (mm) Curling index Cell Wall Thickness (m) Sentang 2.40 1.60 1.45 1.40 1.35

EFB Sentang EFB Sentang EFB Sentang EFB Sentang EFB 20.60 22.22 14.75 17.82 0.99 1.01 0.78 0.82 2.70 19.42 20.84 16.81 17.08 0.85 0.95 0.29 0.62 2.40 17.61 20.81 14.90 18.01 0.83 0.81 0.23 0.49 1.90 16.24 19.33 12.16 15.72 0.75 0.70 0.20 0.25 1.70 17.34 17.78 12.95 15.09 0.70 0.50 0.15 0.13 1.25

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Figure 1: The Effect of Beating on EFB and Sentang Soda Pulps Fibre Morphology Characteristics
Fibre diameter, lumen and cell wall thickness (um)

25 20 15 10 5 0

EFB diameter Sentang diameter EFB lumen Sentang lumen EFB thickness Sentang thickness

1000

2000 4000 Degree of beating (rev.)

8000

Figure 2: The Effect of Beating on EFB and Sentang Soda Pulps Fibre Length and Curl Index.

1.1 1 Fibre length (mm) 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0 1000 2000 4000 Degree of beating (rev.)
Length Length EFB Sentang Curl EFB Curl Sentang

1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 8000 Curl index

Figure 3: The degree of change in fibre morphology during beating

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Percentage of change (%)

20
diameter EFB diameter Sentang lumen EFB

-20
lumen Sentang

-40

length EFB length Sentang curl EFB

-60

-80

curl Sentang thickness EFB

-100

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

Degree of beating (rev.)

10,000 thickness
Sentang

Fibres diameter is a total measurement of fibres cell walls and lumen. Since the fibres cell wall and lumen parameter are decreasing by beating, the fibres diameter is also decreasing. Lumen is decreasing due to the collapse of cell wall when dried on glass slide. The increase of degree of beating has increased the collapsibility of cell wall due to cell wall swelling (Mohlin 1975). Average fibre length has decreased by 29.29% for EFB and 50.50 % for sentang after beat to 8,000 revolutions (Figure 3). Beating may cause fragmentation of the entire fibres leading to a reduction in mean fibre length. Cutting is more likely to occur early in beating before much swelling can subsequently occur (Fahey 1970; Kibblewhite 1972). The fibres are straightened by beating. The fibres are straight if their indices around 0 to 0.05 and very curl if their indices greater than 0.5 (Jordon and Page 1981). Fibre length influence the degree of fibre curling, a longer fibre prone to curl compared to a shorter fibre. Beating decrease fibre length consequently decreases the fibre curling (Figure 2). The decreasing in fibres cell wall thickness due to the removal of cell wall during beating. The mutual rubbing of fibres as pulp circulates in the beater decrease the fibres cell wall thickness. Overall, the degree of changes after beating of diameter and curl index of EFB is more than sentang but the degree of changes of lumen, cell wall thickness and length is less than sentang. The differences in changes of pulp fibre are due to the different in chemical properties of the pulp fibres. The lignin and hemicelluloses affect the beatability of pulp (Stevens 1992). Sentang has higher lignin content (Table 3). Lignin in pulp fibre has the general effect of inhibiting water absorption and fibre swelling (Parham 1983). Lignin will increase the fibre stiffness and made it not flexible, thus increase the fibre destruction: fibre shortening and cell wall thickness thinning. Sentang fibre length has decreasing by 50.50% compared EFB only has decreasing by 29.29% after beating to 8000 revolution. Whereas the fibre diameter of sentang has decreasing by 19.98% compared to 15.83 % of EFB. 6

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

EFB soda pulp has a higher quantity of pentosan (Table 3). Pentosan, the synthesis of hemicelluloses, will increase the absorbality of water and fibre swelling (Heitmann 1992) and make fibre more flexible. The flexibility will decrease fibre destruction. The differences in degree of changes of EFB and sentang pulp fibres are due to the different in chemical properties in their pulp fibres. Conclusions The following conclusions may be drawn from the study performed on soda pulping and pulp beating of oil palm empty fruit bunches and sentang wood: 1. The soda pulping produced different yield and kappa number. EFB had a lower total yield and kappa number compared to sentang due to the different in chemical composition in species and material size for pulping. 2. More lignin and cellulose were degraded in EFB due to its material size. 3. All fibre morphology parameters were decreased as the degree of beating was increased. 4. The degree of change among fibre morphology was varies. Fibre curling index had the highest degree of change and lumen had the lowest degree of change. 5. The degree of change among fibre morphology of EFB and sentang was varies. Overall, the degree of changes after beating of diameter and curl index of EFB was larger than sentang but the changes of lumen, cell wall thickness and length was smaller than sentang. The differences in changes of pulp fibre were due to the different in the quantity of lignin and pentosan in their pulp fibres. Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to USM for her financial support (Short Term IRPA 191/9631/0025), Sabutek (M) Sdn. Bhd for providing the EFB samples; Faculty of Forestry, UPM for providing the sentang wood; and Mr. Azhan, Mr. Edward Ebin, Mr. Rahimi and Mr. Tuan Ahmad Syarawi for collecting the data. REFERENCES Ahmad Shakri, M.S. & Abdul Rashid, A.M. 1999. Sentang: the potential timber for the future. Utilisation of Plantation Timber for the Future. FRIM, Kuala Lumpur, 20 April 1999. Atchison, J.E. 1983. Data on Non-wood Plant Fibers. In Properties of Fibrous Raw Materials and their Preparation for Pulping. 3rd edition. Ed. M.J. Kocurek. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry of the United States and Canada. Canada. Pages 157- 169. Balodis, V. 1991. Planning of Pulpwood Production from Plantations. Advances in Tropical Acacia Research. Bangkok, Thailand, 11-15 February 1991. Barefoot, A.C., Hitchings, R.G. and Ellwood, E.L. 1964. Wood characteristics and kraft paper properties of few selected loblolly pines. I. Effect of fiber morphology under identical cooking conditions. Tappi 47(6): 57-66. 7

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Clayton, D., Easty, D., Einspahr, D., Lonsky, W., Malcolm, E., McDonough, T., Schroeder, L. and Thompson. 1989. Chemistry of Alkaline Pulping. In Pulp and Paper Manufacture Vol. 5: Alkaline Pulping. 3rd edition. Ed. M.J. Kocurek. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry of the United States and Canada. Canada. Pages 1113. Dinwoodie, J.M. 1966. The influence of anatomical and chemical characteristics of softwood fibers on properties of sulphate pulp. Tappi 49(2): 57-66. Fahey, M.D. 1970. Mechanical treatment of chemical pulps. Tappi 53(11): 2050-2064. Heitmann, J.A. Jr. 1992. Pulp Properties. In Pulp and Paper Manufacture Vol. 9: Mill Control & Control Systems: Quality & Testing, Environmental, Corrosion, Electrical. 3rd edition. Ed. M.J. Kocurek. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry of the United States and Canada. Canada. Pages 85- 98. Holton, H. 1977. Soda additive softwood pulping: a major new process. Pulp and Paper Can. 78(10): 19-24. Jordon, and Page, D.H. 1981. Application of image analysis to pulp fibre characterisation. Transaction of the 7th Fundamental Research Symposium The Role of Fundamental Research in Papermaking. Cambridge, September 1981. pp 745-765. Khoo, K.C., Mohd. Nor, M.Y. & Lee, T.W. 1991. Pulp & paper. In Oil Palm Stem Utilisation Review of research. Ed. Khozirah, S., Khoo, K.C. & Abdul Razak, M.A. FRIM Research Pamphlet No. 107 1991. Khoo, K.C. & Lee, T.W. 1991.Pulp & Paper from the Oil Palm. Appita 44(6): 385-388. Kibblewhite, R.P. 1972. Effect of beating on fiber morphology and fiber surface structure. Appita 26(3): 196. Kuusisto, I. 1997. The ASEAN Pulp and Paper Industry: Current Status and Future Opportunities. International Pulp and Paper Conference. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 10-11 November 1997. Levlin, J. and Jousimaa, T. 1988. New pulps require new refining techniques. Paper Tech. 18(9): 304-312. Lubis, A.U., Guritno, P. & Darkano. 1994. Prospects of oil palm solid wastes based industries in Indonesia. 3rd National Seminar on Utilisation of Oil Palm Tree and other Palms 1994. Ed. K.M. Poh, Mohd Nor M.Y. Khoo, K.C. & Nurulhuda M.N. Kuala Lumpur. 27 29 September 1994. Mohlin, U. 1975. Cellulose fibre bonding: Part 3. The effect of beating on interfibre bonding. Svensk Papperstidn. 78(9): 338-341. Nolan, W.J. 1970. Alkaline Pulping Chemistry. In Britt, K.W. Pulp and Paper Technology. Van Norstrd Reinhold Company, New York. pp. 135-144. Norani Ahmad. 1997. Azadiracta excelsa A Monograph. Research Pamphlet No. 120. FRIM, Kuala Lumpur. 59 pages. Parham, R.A. 1983. Structure, Chemistry and Physical Properties of Woody Raw Materials. In Properties of Fibrous Raw Materials and their Preparation for Pulping. 3rd edition. Ed. M.J. Kocurek. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry of the United States and Canada. Canada. Pages 1- 89.

SODA PULPING AND BEATING OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) AND SENTANG WOOD

Page, D.H. 1989. The beating of chemical pulps The action and the effect. Transaction of the 9th Fundamental Research Symposium Fundamental of Papermaking. Cambridge, September 1989. pp 1-38. Peh, T.B., Khoo, K.C. & Lee, T.W 1976. Pulping Studies on Empty Fruit Bunches of Oil Palm. Malay. For. 36(1): 22 37. Renard, J.J., Phillips, B., Jameel, A. & Rudie, A.W. 1981. New opportunities for in-plant reduction of pollution through process changes. Tappi 64(8): 51-54. Rushdan Ibrahim. 1999. Soda pulping of Azadiracta excelsa wood. Utilisation of Plantation Timber for the Future. FRIM, Kuala Lumpur, 20 April 1999. Shaharuddin, M.I. 1999. Future Wood-based Industry and Wood Supply Scenario. Utilisation of Plantation Timber for the Future. FRIM, Kuala Lumpur, 20 April 1999. Smook, G.A. 1992. Handbook for Pulp and Paper Technologist. 2nd edition. Angus Wilde Publication, Vancouver. Stevens, W.V. 1992. Refining. In Pulp and Paper Manufacture Vol. 6: Stock Preparation. 3rd edition. Ed. M.J. Kocurek. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry of the United States and Canada. Canada. Pages 187 219. Tasman, J.E. 1992. Evaluation of Raw Materials and Processing Variables. In Pulp and Paper Manufacture Vol. 9: Mill Control & Control Systems: Quality & Testing, Environmental, Corrosion, Electrical. 3rd edition. Ed. M.J. Kocurek. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry of the United States and Canada. Canada. Pages 4884. TAPPI Test Methods. 1994. TAPPI Test Methods 1994 -1995. TAPPI Press, Atlanta. Wan Daud, W.R., Law, K. & Valade, J.L. 1998. Chemical pulping of oil palm empty fruit bunches. Cellulose Chem. Technol. 32(1-2): 133-143.