Briquetting of fractionated reed canary-grass for pulp production

A new harvesting system, delayed harvest, and the fibre properties of RCG (reed canary-grass, Phalaris arundinacea L.) makes RCG an interesting new source of raw material for the pulp and paper industry in northern Europe. Storage and transport are some of the limiting factors for using RCG as pulp raw material. The cost of transportation and storage is strongly related to the density of the raw material. To be able to guarantee year round available raw material to pulp mills, the logistic problems must be solved. This study examines low-density briquetting of RCG to improve logistics. To evaluate if the conditions in the briquetting process caused fibre damage, the properties of pulp from briquetted material was compared to those of pulp from non-briquetted material. Pulp produced from briquetted RCG had more fines as compared to the non-briquetted reference material. Hand sheets produced using pulp from briquetted RCG were thinner, denser, and had lower air permeability compared to the non-briquetted reference material. The strength properties of pulp made from briquetted RCG indicated little or no difference compared to the reference material. Briquetting of RCG can increase transport capacity, by taking full advantage of maximum load permitted on the vehicle. This improves the transport economy considerable. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.