QUALITY OF PULP OBTAINED BY THE DILUTE NITRIC-ACID METHOD FROM MISCANTHUS HARVESTED IN 2013
The present study reports the dilute nitric-acid pulping of Russian Miscanthus var. Soranovskii harvested in 2013 (Biysk), wherein the raw material is treated sequentially with nitric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions under atmospheric pressure. The pulp has a good quality, that is: alpha cellulose content, 96,1 %; degree of polymerization, 970; ash and lignin contents, 0,11 and 0,65 % respectively, and pentosans content, 0,8 %. The findings suggest that the process for converting Miscanthus into a high-quality pulp by using cheap reagents and standard equipment is advisable. This pulp can successfully be used for the synthesis of cellulose esters and other valuable products.