Non-wood Pulping Possibilities - a Challenge for the Chemical Pulping Industry

Chemical pulping processes that are currently used for pulping non-woods are mainly based on those adapted from the pulping of wood. Several newer methods, still at the laboratory or pilot scale, have also been announced. This paper reviews the current status of chemical and chemi-mechanical non-wood pulping processes, and describes their advantages and disadvantages. The review is based on claims made in the literature and is aimed at assisting researchers in their preparation for the development of a small scale, competitive process that could be a part of a complete utilisation chain for annual plants. Overall it can be concluded that the chemical composition and/or the special features of the non-wood raw materials have so far not been fully exploited.