Kinetic study of delignification of bagasse with butanol - water organosolv pulping process

Pulping of bagasse is carried out using 50 per cent aqueous butanol in the absence or presence of 12 per cent sodium hydroxide at 160-190 degrees C for different durations (0.5-3 h). Rate of delignification was found to increase with temperature and time. The kinetics of organosolv delignification of bagasse by using aqueous butanol (50 per cent) in the absence or presence of alkali is studied. This study was achieved by calculating actual lignin per cent(residual lignin in pulp x yield per cent). The delignification reaction for both aqueous and alkaline butanol pulping process seemed to behave as first order. The activation energies for each pulping type, aqueous and alkaline butanol pulping in this temperatures range were calculated and found to be 19.76 and 16.46 k cal, respectively.