COMPARATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF RICE STRAW AND WHEAT STRAW FOR SUSTAINABLE PULP PRODUCTION

Abstract

Agricultural residues such as rice straw and wheat straw represent promising non-wood raw materials for sustainable pulp and paper production. This study presents a comparative chemical analysis of these two lignocellulosic biomasses to evaluate their suitability for environmentally friendly pulping processes. The composition of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, ash, and silica content was determined using standardized analytical methods. Results indicated that rice straw contains a higher ash (15.8%) and silica content (10.2%) compared to wheat straw (7.4% and 3.5%, respectively), which can influence pulping chemical consumption and processing efficiency.