Developing fluff pulp from agro-based, non-wood fibres
“Fluff” pulp is primarily made of cellulose-based fibre network that effectively distributes and absorbs the fluid in the absorbent core. Our Fibre Technology department focuses on the following research areas to make the absorbent core of our products as sustainable as possible:
1. Eco-friendly pulping methods
2. Optimizing fluff pulp parameters for best performance
Typically, fluff pulp is made from softwood fibres (pine wood) or hardwood fibres (eucalyptus). At Sparkle, we believe in circular solutions. Besides focusing our efforts on upcycling banana fibre (the agro-waste produced during banana farming) which is used in many of our products, we are also studying several other non-wood agro-based materials such as bagasse fibres (sugar cane fibre that is a by-product of sugar production) which are currently waste materials.
As alternative sources to replace wood pulp, we are also working on a number of other natural fibres such as jute, hemp, flax, kenaf, sisal and ramie.
Compared to wood-based cellulose, these natural fibres are easily available in different geographic regions, have shorter, yearly growth cycles and are able to adapt to various growth conditions, which makes them more sustainable.
Before the wood-based fibres can be turned into soft and absorbent fluff pulp, they have to go through a chemical, mechanical, chemi-thermo-mechanical (CTMP) pulping process. During the pulping process, cellulose fibres are separated and lignin is removed, which acts as a glue that holds the cellulose fibres together. Oftentimes, the pulping process of “degumming” or “delignification” uses harsh alkaline or acidic treatments.
Our Fibre Technology department conducts research on innovative and sustainable pulping methods that can replace the intense chemical treatments via alternate mechanical refining, biological enzyme treatments or other eco-friendly chemical treatments to reduce the pollution caused by the conventional pulping processes.
Once the pulping process is completed, the wet pulp is converted into dry fluff pulp rolls. These rolls are then defiberized on our production line into separate individual fibres that form a porous fibre network in the absorbent cores of our products. There are a number of parameters that affect not only the performance of fluff pulp, but also the energy required to fiberize the pulp sheet during the dry-forming process.
Our Fibre Technology department concentrates on optimizing fibre length with the right mix of long fibres and short fibres so we can have proper fluid distribution through capillary forces as well as ensure optimal retention and rewet values while reducing knots (the fibre bundles) content.