Formic Acid Pulping and TCF Bleaching of Cassava Stalks

Abstract

The formic acid (FA) pulping process is well-known for its advantage to overcome the problems caused by the presence of high silica and fines content of agriculture residues during pulping. In this context a new and unconventional raw material, cassava stalk was pulped using formic acid followed by treatment withperoxyformic acid (PFA) treatment was applied to the formic acid treated pulps at 80⁰C for two hours.It was found that the FA/PFA process lowered pulp yield of cassava stalks when FA concentration was increased. The PFA pulping decreased the kappa number of the pulps. After the FA/PFA treatment of cassava stalks, the pulp yield reached 37- 42% with kappa number of 21-34 at different formic acid concentrations. FA/PFA pulp from cassava stalks did not show promising result in total chlorine free bleaching and final brightness reached only up to 54%.

DUJASE Vol. 6 (2) 1-6, 2021 (July)