New Technology for the Environment: Development of Mimosa as a Materials Substitute for Hardwood Fibers in Paper Manufacturing

该环境新技术项目的目标是开发造纸和农艺所需的新技术，使含羞草（合欢）成为高级造纸中硬木纤维的可行替代材料。 高质量的书写纸和印刷纸需要来自软木的长纤维和来自硬木的短纤维的混合。硬木不是种植园种植的，因此难以获得和适当的重新造林。含羞草是一种生长迅速的多年生植物，我们的初步研究表明，它的纸浆质量与南方硬木相似。该项目的重点是研究：（1）含羞草对不同制浆和造纸工艺的反应;（2）含羞草对漂白程序的反应;（3）含羞草在软木和硬木混合物中的纸张性能;（4）含羞草收获的最佳木材年龄;（5）通过收集野生含羞草种质（种子）来遗传改良含羞草;（6）含羞草的遗传改良。和（6）评价该材料的发芽率和早期植物生长。 实验协同教师和研究生之间的互动，从化学工程，农学和土壤，和奥本纸浆和纸张研究和教育中心。它包括本科生在实验室课程的研究经验，并通过与塔斯基吉大学的少数民族学生的本科生暑期交流计划，这项工作的环境影响将是减少砍伐硬木在老增长的森林，并减少能源使用与制浆，漂白，和含羞草纤维的精炼。

The objective of this New Technologies for the Environment project is to develop the new technologies needed in paper processing and agronomy to make mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) a viable materials substitute for hardwood fibers in fine paper manufacturing. Quality writing and printing paper grades require a blend of long fibers derived from softwood and short fibers derived from hardwoods. Hardwoods are not plantation grown, making accessibility and proper reforestation difficult. Mimosa is a fast growing perennial plant and our preliminary studies show that it has pulp with qualities similar to that of southern hardwoods. This project focuses on studies that address: (1) the response of mimosa to different pulping and paper making processes; (2) the response of mimosa to bleaching sequence; (3) the paper properties of mimosa in softwood and hardwood blends; (4) the optimum age of wood for mimosa harvesting; (5) genetic improvement of mimosa by making a germplasm (seed) collection from wild mimosa; and (6) evaluation of germination rate and early plant growth from this material. The experiments synergize interactions among faculty and graduate students from Chemical Engineering, Agronomy and Soils, and the Auburn Pulp and Paper Research and Education Center. It includes research experiences for undergraduates in laboratory courses and through an undergraduate summer exchange program with minority students from Tuskegee University.The environmental impacts of this work will be the reduction in harvesting of hardwoods in old growth forests, and the reduction in energy usage associated with the ease of pulping, bleaching, and refining of the mimosa fibers.