Sterculia villosa Roxb — A potential source of wood-fibre for pulp and paper making

Sterculia Villosa Roxb, is one of the fast-growing plant species abundantly available in the North Eastern Region of India. It is a medium-sized tree with grey bark about 2.50–2.65 cm thick in the mature plant. A full-grown tree attains a height of about 15–18 metres with a girth about 1.4–1.6 metres. The average wood fibre length is 1.2 mm. A high pulp yield of 55±3% is achievable from this plant material. Experiments for preparing pulp and paper were carried out adopting the Sulphate and Soda-anthraquinone pulping processes. Standard laboratory handsheets were made from the pulp stock of bark, debarked woody portion and their blend (30:70) and exhibited good strength properties. The results indicated that this fibrous material may be considered as one of the potential sources of raw materials for making pulp and paper either alone or in combination with the conventional fibrous materials.