The purpose of this study is to find the effects of three different pulping methods on the delignification kinetics of pennisetum (napier grass). The three pulping methods are Soda, Kraft and Alkaline Sulfite pulping methods. Results from our study, show that the activation energy of each pulping method is between 10 and 20 Kcal/mole. The Alkaline Sulfite method has the highest activation energy-21.48 Kcal/mole, and the next is Soda method-20.55 Kcal/mole, while the Kraft method has the lowest activation energy-12.8 Kcal/mole. To get the same Kappa number, H-factor to be used for Soda method is about twice that of Kraft method, and H-factor required for Alkaline method is about 2.5 to 3 times of that of Kraft method. The results from this study can be used to determine the best pulping method and pulping conditions using pennisetum as pulping material.
