Optimizing Kraft Pulping Conditions to Improve Nettle Plant Pulp Quality

Abstract

The suitability of nettle plants for the production of pulp and paper was thoroughly examined, with special consideration given to the plant’s chemical compositions, morphological analysis, and kraft pulping qualities. The mean values of cell wall thickness, fiber length, lumen width, runkel ratio, and nettle plant diameter were found to be 7.4 μm, 55 mm, 4.9 μm, 2.4 and 16.9 μm, respectively. Although nettle plant fibers have a stronger cell wall, their physical properties are comparable to another biomass. The chemical composition investigation found that the contents of nettle plants were 64.8 weight percent holocellulose, 38.7 weight percent alpha-cellulose, 16.8 weight percent lignin, and 5.8 weight percent ash. Additionally, 8.4 weight percent were discovered in the 1% alkaline extractives of nettle leaves. The kraft pulping process of nettle plants needed a low chemical charge and lower boiling time when compared to a number of other non-wood raw materials utilized in the papermaking process. Despite these circumstances, kraft-pulped nettle plants yielded a high-yield bleachable grade pulp. Kraft pulp produced from bleached nettle plants had strength properties that were comparable to those of other biomass for pulp and papermaking materials. Overall, this present research show that nettle plants, which have morphological and chemical characteristics comparable to those of traditional papermaking materials, have a bright future as a source of pulp and paper.