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

这项环境新技术项目的目标是开发造纸和农学所需的新技术，使含羞草（合欢草）成为优质造纸中硬木纤维的可行替代品。高质量的书写和印刷纸需要由软木制成的长纤维和硬木制成的短纤维混合而成。硬木不是人工种植的，这使得可获得性和适当的再造林变得困难。含羞草是一种快速生长的多年生植物，我们的初步研究表明，它的果肉具有与南方硬木相似的品质。本项目重点研究：(1)含羞草对不同制浆和造纸工艺的反应；(2)含羞草对漂白序列的响应；(3)含羞草在软木和硬木共混物中的造纸性能；(4)含羞草采伐的最佳树龄；(5)采集野生含羞草种质（种子）进行含羞草遗传改良；(6)评价该材料的发芽率和植物早期生长情况。这些实验协同了化学工程、农学和土壤以及奥本纸浆和造纸研究与教育中心的教师和研究生之间的互动。它包括本科生在实验课程中的研究经历，以及通过与塔斯基吉大学少数民族学生的本科生暑期交换项目。这项工作对环境的影响将是减少对老森林中硬木的采伐，以及减少与含羞草纤维易于制浆、漂白和精炼有关的能源使用。

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.