The Manufacture of Bleached Kraft Pulp from Persimmon Byproducts

The authors explored the possibility of using persimmon byproducts as raw materials for obtaining kraft pulps. Various unbleached and bleached kraft pulps via pulping and bleaching processes were prepared. Then, their characteristics were determined and compared with those of commercial kraft pulps. For the highest screened yield of persimmon byproduct unbleached kraft pulps, the optimal pulping conditions were a liquid ratio of 5:1, an active alkali concentration of 25%, a sulfidity of 30%, and a cooking time of 3 h. Furthermore, the authors obtained persimmon byproduct bleached kraft pulps (PB-BKPs) with an ISO brightness of 73% via three-stage bleaching using 3% ClO2, 1.5% NaOH, and 3.5% ClO2. Moreover, PB-BKP prepared under optimal pulping and bleaching conditions had physical characteristics similar to those of commercial mixed-hardwood bleached kraft pulp, but with relatively low ISO brightness. Therefore, as raw materials, persimmon byproducts can be used for manufacturing a bleached kraft pulp.