Effects of hemicellulose and lignin on the property changes during recycling were separated and analyzed using hemlock pulps of varying chemical composition. It is found that the amount of pentosan in pulps, especially xylan, plays a critical role on the recycling potential of hemlock pulps. The higher the xylan content, the better the recyclability. This effect holds good over a wide range of lignin levels. Of five selected properties, the magnitude of changes caused by recycling can be statistically explained by the variation of xylan contents alone. Lignin content, on the other hand, appears not to significantly affect the recycling potential of pulps. Statistical analysis also shows the lignin-pentosan interaction parameter to be insignificant. The potential mechanism by which xylan molecules influence recyclability of pulps has been proposed.
展开▼
