Paper, Pulp and Paperboard Production from Bamboo. Profitable Bamboo Processing Industry
Bamboo is a quickly renewable resource. Bamboo is the single fastest growing species of plant on the planet with some species growing more than a meter a day. In sharp contrast to trees which require decades to recover from harvesting, bamboo reaches maturity in 3 to 5 years or less and when it is cut, the stem is left in the soil to sprout a new shoot and start the growing process again.
Paper has been made from bamboo for hundreds of years. The commercial process uses actual bamboo canes for pulp. Bamboo paper is attracting the attention of companies and individuals looking for eco-friendly printing and sustainability. Despite the digital revolution, the demand for paper is growing globally.
The bamboo pulp is one kind of paper pulp like wood pulp, straw pulp or reed pulp. The bamboo pulp is usually made from moso bamboo, phyllostachys pubescens and sinocalamus affinis by sulfate digestion process or soda process. The bamboo fiber morphology and length is intermediate between wood fiber and straw fiber.
Bamboo pulp can be made into bamboo paper. Bamboo paper is strong and it has wide applications. The bleached bamboo paper is used to manufacture offset paper, typing paper and high-grade culture paper. The unbleached bamboo paper is generally applied to package papermaking. Besides, bamboo pulp and wood pulp can be mixed and used to make cable paper, insulation paper, and cement bag paper.