In this work, we successfully mixed polylactic acid (PLA) with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from water hyacinth. The MCC was prepared by treating water hyacinth fiber (WHF). Then hydrochloric acid was used to hydrolyze treated fiber to MCC. X-rays diffraction (XRD) showed that the MCC produced has 73.28 per cent crystallinity. Internal mixing was used to combine composites between MCC and PLA. Percentages of MCC were 1, 5, 10 and 15, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy indicated that the interaction between MCC and PLA are only mechanically interaction. Tensile testing of this composite (ASTM D638) revealed that tensile strength and percentage of elongation at break decreased but the increase of young's modulus. The morphological analysis was observed thru composites fractured surface by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). They showed a void between cellulosic fiber and PLA when high amount of MCC conformed with tensile results.
The aim of this work was to study the effects of various experimental parameters on vetiver grass (Vetiveria nemoralis A. Camus) pulping. Mixtures of NH4OH-KOH were used as cooking liquors. The caustic potash did not only reduce the NH3 usage and cooking time, but also provided a potassium source as a fertilizer in the black liquor. Anthraquinone (AQ) was added in certain amount as cooking catalyst. The experiment was conducted following a central composite design involving three pulping variables (amount of KOH: 3.5 to 7% on oven-dried sample, amount of NH4OH : 25 to 45% on oven-dried sample, and cooking temperature : 145 to 160°C). The quantity of anthraquinone was fixed at 0.1% on oven-dried sample. Pulping time was fixed at 2 hours and liquid-to-oven-dried sample ratio was 8:1. Responses of pulp properties to the process variables were analyzed using DESIGN-EXPERT®, a computer-aided design of experiment software. The pulp properties revealed that this pulp is capable for making of printing and writing paper. Furthermore, this study provided a new pulping process for vetiver grass to reduce problems of discharge black liquor.
In present time, recycled paper from xerographic and laser-printed wastepaper plays an important role as alternatives to paper from virgin pulp because of there good pulp quality and high amount of wastepaper each year. This type of paper is classified as Mixed Office Wastepaper (MOW). The xerographic and laser-printed inks are usually called “toner” that mainly consists of styrene-acrylate copolymer. This work investigated paper recycling by washing deinking processes. Experimental parameters were pulp consistencies, amounts and types of surfactant. The resultant pulp of 1.5%consistency and 0.9 wt% of nonionic surfactant, Triton X-100, is the optimum washing deinking process. The resultant pulps have optical and physical properties closed to non-printed paper. Surfactant concentrations were kept below CMC to provide low ink specks, high brigthness and strength on handsheets. The recycled pulp will be use as a raw material for electrical purpose paper.
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