Manufacturingof Fancy Paperboardfrom the Mixture of Empty oil-palmFruitBunch Pulp, Paper-Mill Sludge, Banana Stem Pulp

Small-scalepaperboard industries that use sludgein Indonesia currently facedifficultypromring otherfibrous materialsfor the sludgemixture (particularl)pulp and wastepaper). On the otherhand, unutiiizedempty oil-palmfmit bunches{EFB) are abundant wastesfrom palm-oilprocessing, and potential ligno-cellulosicfibers for such mixture in paperboardindustries. Forgreateruse ofpaperboard (e.g.fancy/ art purposes}, anotherabundantfiber sources(i.e. long•fibered banana stem)deserve also considerationforthe sludgemixture.In relevance, EFB and banana stems were experimental!Jpulped using semi-chemicalhot soda process. EFB pulping was done in a pressurized-kerosenestove-heateddigesterempk?Jing 10% alkali (NaOH)concentration,1:5.5 ratio of EFB chips to cooking liquor, maximum temperat11reat 12(/C keptfor 2 hours under 1.2-1.5 atmospheric pressure. Pulping of banana stems was cond11&ted in the same digesteremplr?Jing 4% and 6% alkali,1:7 ratio of banana-stemchipsto liquor, and maximum temperature1 O(!Cfor1.5hoursunder open (atmospheric)air.The resulting bananapulp with 4% alkali was more suitablefor the mixturewith EFB pulp and sludge (i.e. lower alkali consumption andgreaterkappa number)Fancypaperboard wasformedin a small scalepaperboardfactoryemplr?Jingthe mixtures of 35-50%EFB pulp, 35-50%paper-mill sludge, and 0-30% banana stemp11lp; and incorporating additives (i.e.5% kaolin filler, 2% alum• retentionagent, 4% tapioca binder, 2% rosin soap (size),and 5% coloringmatter). Pf?ysicaland strengthproperties of the resultingpaperboardfrom those mixturecompositions were better than thoseproducedfrom small-scalefactorythat used the mixture of 50% sludge and 50% wastepaper, without additives. Incorporating banana-stempulp up to 15% effordedfanrypaperboard that satisfiedthe commercialpaperboardstandard Also, it exhibited thepaperboard suiface with interestingpatterns. Thissuggests the prospective use of mane facturing fanry paper board from the mixture of EFB pulp,paper-millsludge,and banana-stempulp eitherup to 15% (if strength considered) orover (strengthunconsidered).