Thermal Dynamics and a Comparison of the Thermal Stability of Various Non-Wood Pulps

Specialty paper products made using natural pulps is an attractive field for the paper industry and for researchers. Studying the thermal dynamics of plant pulps is an important step toward improving the thermal stability of papers. This study has the aim of gaining detailed insight into the thermal properties of softwood, hardwood, flax, hemp, mulberry, bamboo, bagasse, and esparto pulps. Chemical composition and thermogravimetric analyses of these non-wood pulps were performed to find the correlations between the chemical, structural, and thermal properties of these pulps. In addition, the Malek model for kinetics of the thermo-decomposition process of pulps is proposed. The kinetics of the most probable mechanism function for G(α) = 1-(1-α) 1/2 of the thermo-decomposition process of plant fibers from 200 to 400 °C is deduced using the Malek model. This study also provides a method to help select the most promising pulps for specialty materials.