Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the pulping and papermaking characteristics of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera G.) leafstalk for the development of high performance paper. Anatomical and chemical properties of the lotus leafstalk were analyzed. The pulping and papermaking properties of the lotus leafstalk by conventional alkali and sulfomethylated pulping processes were also evaluated. The length and width of fibers were 0.06-3.32 mm (av. 1.23 mm) and 3.47-25.6 ${\mu}m$ (av. 20.7 ${\mu}m$), respectively. The length and width of vessel elements were 0.07-0.78 mm (av. 0.20 mm) and 14.1-330.0 ${\mu}m$ (av. 54.13 ${\mu}m$), respectively. The fiber length/fiber width ratio was 60.20. The extractives (cold water, hot water, 1% NaOH and ethanol-benzene) and lignin content of lotus leafstalk were higher than those of plant bast fiber. The contents of holocellulose, lignin, and ash were 73.8%, 24.3%, and 4.3%, respectively. The pulp yields based on pulping methods were sulfomethylated pulping av. 52%, and alkaline pulping av. 42%. The conventional alkaline pulping shows better pulp and sheet properties than the sulfomethylated pulping which was modified pulping processes. But the sulfomethylated pulping shows higher brightness than alkali pulping. In the consequence of FE-SEM observation, lotus leafstalk pulp consists of various kinds of thin walled fibers which have large amount of small pits.
