Fiber Properties of Sorghum halepense and Its Suitability for Paper Production

摘要

Sorghum halepense, one of the fast-growing highly unpalatable grass species with high biomass, was evaluated for its fiber properties to be used as an alternative raw material for pulp and paper production. The fiber properties were compared with other wood and nonwood fibers. The fiber length of 1.76 mm was observed, which was close to low end of the deciduous wood. The length was found to be more than Eucalyptus grandis (1.06 mm), which is used widely for pulp and paper production. The strength properties were also comparable to other nonwood fibers. From the derived values, it was observed that Sorghum halepense is a potential raw material that can be used in mixtures with other raw materials for pulp and paper production.