Utilization of Ligninolityc Enzyme in Biobleaching of Pulp from Empty Fruit Bunches of Oil Palm
Keywords:
biobleaching, pulp-EFBOP, paper of newspaperAbstract
A study was conducted to assess the possibility of using white rot fungi in bleaching of pulp from empty fruit bunches of oil palm (EFBOP) in laboratory scale. Bleaching of EFBOP-pulp was done by inoculating Omphalina sp. and Pleurotus ostreatus or their ligninolityc enzyme and incubated for 20 days. The results showed that the opacity of the paper obtained from EFBOP qualify as newspaper. However the physical properties of paper sheets such as tensile index, water absorption, formation, and the degree of white is not yet qualify as a newspaper based on ISO standards. The use of enzyme (100%) for EFBOP bleaching process produces sheets of paper that was not fullfil standard of newsprint. It seem likely that a combination between chemical and biological processes still to be considered for the manufacturing of paper from EFBOP.