FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS OF PAPER PULPS

Fluorescence spectroscopy is a rapid, cheap, sensitive, specific and n on-destructive method suitable for the characterization of autofluores cence-exhibiting lignins. Fluorescence spectral information, treated a ccording to Principal Components Analysis (PCA), was used to study pap er pulps from different biological sources. Wheat straw, fiber sorghum and sweet sorghum stalks were pulped with an aqueous ethanol solution under acid or alkali conditions. The results indicated that the fluor escence emission spectra of solid paper pulps through PCA could give i nformation about the origin of the pulp sample and the type of pulping method used. Additional findings included the existence of a good cor relation between the fluorescence data and the kappa number, as well a s the lignin contents in the pulps, from the various raw materials. (C ) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.