Optimisation of oxygen delignification in production of totally chlorine-free cellulose pulps from oil palm empty fruit bunch fibre

The effects of oxygen delignification on prehydrolysed-soda pulps produced from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) empty fruit bunch fibre were statistically investigated by employing response surface methodology (RSM). Polynomial estimation models of five response variables namely yield, Kappa number, α-cellulose, viscosity and brightness were developed, each model comprised of four-independent variables: reaction temperature, reaction time, the alkali charge, and initial Kappa number. The calculated optimum condition (95 °C reaction temperature, 60 min reaction time, 2% alkali charge, and initial Kappa number of 6.6) is capable to produce pulp with 98.1% yield, Kappa number 2.4, 97.38% α-cellulose, pulp viscosity 13.8 cPs and ISO brightness 67.1%, which were proven close to the predicted values calculated from estimation models. The results indicated that oxygen delignification which is used as the first stage of bleaching sequence has the ability to both delignify and increase pulp brightness without substantial reduction in viscosity and α-cellulose, that appeared to be beneficial for subsequent TCF bleaching.