Reinforcement Fiber Production from Wheat Straw for Wastepaper-Based Packaging Using Steam Refining with Sodium Carbonate

Abstract

Locally sourced agricultural residues are a promising feedstock for the production of reinforcement fibers for wastepaper-based packaging papers. An eco-friendly high yield process to generate fibers from wheat straw using high pressure steam and sodium carbonate is presented. The wheat straw was impregnated with up to 16% of sodium carbonate and steam treated for 10 min at temperatures from 148 °C to 203 °C. The pulps were characterized concerning their chemical composition and test sheets with 100% straw fibers and with 15% and 30% straw fibers blended with recycled pulp were prepared. Fiber yields ranged from 70% to 45%, wherein more severe treatment conditions contributed to increased paper strength but lower yields. At comparable fiber yields, treatments featuring a higher chemical input, coupled with lower treatment temperatures, resulted in improved paper strength. By blending recycled pulp with up to 30% of straw fibers with a beating degree of roughly 45 °SR, the burst, compression and tensile strength was enhanced by up to 66%, 74% and 59%, respectively. As the enhancement effect decreases with a high steam treatment intensity and a high proportion of wheat straw, a moderate treatment and limited use of wheat straw may be the best choice.