Suitability of Sudanese Cotton Stalks for Alkaline Pulping with Additives

The fibre characteristics and chemical composition of Gossypium Hirsutum, Sudanese cotton stalks were assessed for their suitability for papermaking. Soda-anthraquinone (soda-AQ), alkaline sulphite-anthraquinone (AS-AQ) and ASAM (alkaline sulphite-anthraquinone- methanol) cookings were carried out with different alkali charges and pulps with acceptable to good yields and mechanical properties were obtained. ASAM pulping gave the best results in yields, degree of delignification, mechanical pulp properties. AS-AQ pulping cooking with ratio (70: 30) as NaOH: Na2SO3 gave better results compared to (60: 40) ratio.