Evaluating the Pulpability and Paper Performance of Soda and Soda-Anthraquinone Pulping of <i>Acacia Mearnsii</i>

This study examines the pulpability of A. mearnsii grown in Ethiopia to manufacture soda and soda-anthraquinone (AQ) pulp and paper under various pulping conditions. Pulping was performed at active alkali concentrations ranging from 15 to 25%. The chemical compositional analysis revealed that the overall average Klason-lignin, Kurchner-Hoffer cellulose, extractives, and ash contents of A. mearnsii were 17.31, 48.22, 5.68, and 0.91%, respectively. A. mearnsii’s soda and soda-AQ pulping properties resulted in pulp yields of 48.00 to 53.20% and 48.33 to 54.00%, with Kappa values ranging from 15.90 to 22.78 and 10.90 to 16.74, respectively. A. mearnsii has high pulpwood productivity ranging from 391 to 440 kg/m3. The ideal pulping condition was 15% active alkali with a kappa value of 16.74, resulting in a 54% screened unbleached pulp yield for soda-AQ pulp production. The findings revealed that the chemical composition analysis results and pulpability of A. mearnsii are comparable to previously published values for A. mearnsii and other hardwoods. Therefore, it can be concluded that A. Mearnsii is a good fibrous raw material capable of competing with some traditional hardwoods used in the papermaking sector of various countries.