Characterisation Of Ugandan Selected Grasses And Tree Leaves For Pulp Extraction For Paper Industry

Abstract All types of plants and their differentparts contain similar chemical constituents although in dissimilar quantities. Cellulose in form of fibres is among the most abundant constituents in all parts and types of plants grasses and tree leaves inclusive. Cellulose fibresfrom plant materials can be isolated as pulp. Due to deforestation resulting from land pressure there is a growing insufficient supply of wood for pulp and paper industry. The land pressure emanatesfrom population explosion which relies on agriculture and wood as source of energy. There is a needof widening the alternative sources for pulp byembracing a number of non-wood materials. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of using some selected grasses and leaves from selected trees that grow in Uganda. The selected grasses were cymbopogon nardus saccharum officinarum digitaria scalarum and pasperumsspwhile the selected trees were Pinusspp mangifera indica ficus branchypoda and artocarpus heterophyllus. Mature grasses and shed tree leaves for study were collected prepared and their chemical composition determined using standard Tappis methods as well as the standard Norman and Jenkins Methods. The Hollocellulose from the selected grasses varied from 60.97-68.51 wt.wt. on oven dry basis while those of tree leaves from the selected tree plant varied from 32.08 to 45.59. The 26945-Cellulose among the selected grasses and tree leaves varied from 26.19 - 35.00 and12.25 - 27.13 respectively.The lignin content of the selected grasses varied from 20.20 - 27.38while for tree leaves it ranged from 36.62 - 49.09. The hollocellulose 26945-cellulose and lignin contents among the four selected grasses were equal or close to those of other non-wood materials and some typical softwood materials used in production of pulp. The hollocellulose and 26945-cellulose of the four tree leave were very low and lignin content was higher than those of most non-wood proved to be promising sources of pulp.Cymbopogon nardus is the most promising raw materials followed by saccharum officinarum tops then pasperum and finally digitaria scalarum. Tree leaves constituents makes the leaves to have low for priority pulp extraction.