Delignification of L. leucocephala and C. equisetifolia through kraft pulping and mitigation of vessel picking

Abstract

Leucaena leucocephala and Casuarina equisetifolia are two fast-growing deciduous tropical hardwoods that were characterized for their morphological and chemical characteristics to assess their suitability for pulp production. The effects of kraft pulping sulfidity, cooking time, and cooking temperature on screened pulp yield and Kappa number were studied. Handsheets made from these pulps showed a vessel picking problem during printing that was reduced by treating the pulp with 0.1% cellulase and beating the pulp at high consistency.