Abstract
Paper sludges collected from three different paper mills were physico-chemically analyzed in order to use them as raw materials for making bed soils and seedling pots. The sludge from a fine paper mill contained lots of inorganic pigment particles used for coating, as those from a newsprint mill and a tissue mill had not. It was clearly through XRD analysis confirmed that all sludges included calcium carbonate. The paper sludge from the tissue mill contained the greatest amount of particles, which would contribute to water absorption and nutrient storage. The sludge from the fine paper mill had the highest density due to many inorganic elements. While the ash content and the total nitrogen content were the highest in the sludge from the fine paper mill, the C/N ratio was the lowest in the fine paper mill sludge. All sludges seemed to have insufficient contents of potassium. The sludges from the newsprint mill and the tissue mill showed more silicon contents than that from the fine paper mill. It was concluded that the sludge from the fine paper mill would be able to be the most efficient raw materials for making bed soils and seedling pots and the other two sludges would be more efficient for intensive culture for crops such as rice and grain with additional supplement of nitrogen and other nutrients.