Evaluation of Three Nigeructiian Fibre Sources for Pulp and Paper Prod (Paperback)

This study was carried to search for local raw materials for pulp and paper making in Nigeria. The four paper industries in Nigeria are closed down due to lack of availability of raw materials. The companies were relying on foreign materials which they could not sustained. Three Nigerian fibre sources (ceiba pentandra, baggase and rice straw) were pulped using maceration method. Their pulps were analyzed for pulp yield. Hand sheet papers were produced from their pulp and characterized. Properties such as tearing strength, tensile strength, bulk strength, tear factor. breaking force. The tear force of the sample papers produced from silk cotton tree, bagasse and rice straw were found to be 956.48mN, 1226.25mN and759.25mN respectively. The paper samples produced from these three materials posses greater tear force than TAPPI T414 standard 500-700mN.The tear factor and breaking weight of these materials were found to be 162.50m2 and 22.07N, 125.00m2 and 26.00, 147.98m2 and 6.57N respectively. These values are greater than the minimum standard for all grades of papers of The Nigeria Paper Mill Limited Jebba whose tear factor and breaking weight were 120m2 and 5.6-7.5N respectively.