Effects of Pulping Conditions on Yield and Kappa Number of Paper Pulp Produced from Corn Sheaths

The global paper industry has raised serious environmental concerns on multiple fronts from deforestation to climate change, CO2 emissions, loss of biodiversity and soil erosion to various degrees of health issues as a result of removing forest trees for pulp and paper production. To address the environmental challenges posed by the paper industry, there is need to focus on alternative non wood fibre sources such as corn sheaths for paper making. The study investigated the suitability of corn sheaths for quality paper production and evaluated the influence of soda pulping conditions on yield and kappa number of pulp produced from corn sheaths, promising lignocellulose biomasses for paper production. The influence of alkaline concentration (10-30% NaOH), pulping temperature (120 - 160?) and time (40-60 minutes) on pulp yield and pulp kappa number was examined. The results show that optimal pulping conditions of 10% NaOH, 160?, 60 minutes resulted in a maximum pulp yield of 68% and a kappa number of 32.96. Pulp yield and kappa number decreased with increase in alkaline concentration, temperature and time. Under optimal conditions, the pulp exhibited acceptable yield, indicating potential for paper production. This research demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing corn sheaths as sustainable raw materials for paper making, highlighting the importance of pulping conditions to achieve desirable pulp for paper production.