BONGKOT - A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF NONWOOD FIBRE FOR PAPERMAKING

Throughout Southeast Asia, the oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is grown in large plantations for its fruit from which two valuable oils are obtained. The fruit consists of a fibrous casing commonly known as bongkot which contains the plant seeds. The orange-yellow pericarp yields palm oil which is used in soap making. The endosperm yields a white, pleasantly flavored oil known as palm-kernel oil, also used in making soaps. The fibrous casing, or bongkot, is either burned or spread among the palm trees. Alternative value-added uses for the bongkot are being considered, one of which is its suitability as a raw material for pulp and paper production. This paper summarizes a literature survey of studies published on the subject of using bongkot as a source of nonwood plant fibre for papermaking. The studies explored raw material preparation and pulp quality using the Kraft, TMP, and NSSC processes. An analysis of the three processes shows that bongkot produces pulp that has high strength but low brightness with small black spots. The pulp, however, is suitable for producing a variety of products. The results indicate that using bongkot is both technologically and commercially feasible.