OPERATIONAL VARIABLES ON PULP SCREEN YIELD

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume V, Issue XII, December 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

OPERATIONAL VARIABLES ON PULP SCREEN YIELD  

Henry Okwudili CHIBUDIKE1, Eze MGBACHIUZO1, Nelly Acha NDUKWE2,
Nkemdilim Ifeanyi OBI3,Olubamike Adetutu ADEYOJU4 and Eunice Chinedum CHIBUDIKE5

1Chemical, Fiber and Environmental Technology Department, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, F.I.I.R.O., Lagos-Nigeria
2Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, Mountain Top University, Magoki, Ogun State, Lagos-Nigeria
3National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Abuja-Nigeria
4Production, Analytical and Laboratory Management, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, F.I.I.R.O., Lagos-Nigeria
5Planning, Technology Transfer and Information Management, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, F.I.I.R.O., Lagos-Nigeria

Abstract
In this research work, pulping trials were carried out using the MEA process. The operating conditions such as 50%, 75%, 100% MEA concentration, 150, 160, 170oC cooking temperature, and 60, 90, 120minutes cooking time at constant 4/1 liquor biomass ratio were investigated systematically to establish optimal pulping conditions. This paper investigates the effect of operational (independent) variables i.e. cooking temperature, cooking time, and liquor concentration at constant liquor-biomass ratio of 1/4 on pulp screened yield (dependent variable). By using a central composite factorial design (CCD), equation relating the dependent variable to the different independent variables was derived; which reproduced the experimental results for the dependent variable with errors less than 15%. The lignin content of EFB (18.29%) was low; indicating that EFB should be easier to pulp. The optimum cooking conditions for MEA pulping were 75% MEA concentration, 90 minutes cooking time, and 150°C cooking temperature. The laboratory-scale experimental results indicated that MEA-pulping process is particularly well suited for the pulping of agro-based fibers e.g. EFB of Oil Palm, which was delignified to a low kappa number value of 17.5, pulp yield of 54.73% and screen yield of 53.27% recording a reject of only 1.46%, indicating a good alternative to the Kraft pulping process because of its less polluting effect (environmental impact).

Keywords: Pulp Screened Yield; EFB of Oil Palm; Lignin, MEA-pulping, Kraft, Central Composite Design (CCD)

Introduction

The chemical pulping strategies can be classified into two major principles namely; alkaline such as kraft process and soda process and acidic such as sulfite and bisulfite process. The kraft process is a modification of the soda process which utilizes sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with the addition of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) into the cooking liquor system (Sjostrom, 1993; Smook, 1992). Sulfite pulping is a solubilization of lignin from cellulose as salts of lignosulfonic acid using mixtures of sulfurous acid (H2SO3) while bisulfite pulping uses bisulfite ion (HSO-3) (Casey, 1980; Smook, 1992). Besides, sulfite pulping also can be carried out in neutral and alkali medium and known as neutral and alkaline sulfite processes(Smook

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