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Abstract

The study aimed to determine the properties of pulp prepared from Gracilaria sp. and Eucheuma sp. red algae. The experiments were conducted during the month of October 2016 at Bandung Institute of Technology and Science and the Center for Pulp and Paper. Soda pulping with 10% NaOH charge at 105 o C was carried out to produce pulp from Gracilaria sp. and Eucheuma sp. Pulp handsheets were prepared according to the standard procedures TAPPI T205 sp - 95. The present experiments were consisting of four treatments i.e. A (60% algae pulp: 40% NBKP), B (70% algae pulp : 30% NBKP), C (80% algae pulp : 20% NBKP) and D (100% NBKP). The Kappa numbers, tearing strength, tensile strength and brightness of pulp were determined. The results showed that the Kappa number of Eucheuma sp. pulp was lower than that of Gracilaria sp. pulp. The highest tearing and tensile strength of pulp were obtained from treatment A (60% Eucheuma sp. pulp : 40% NBKP), i.e. 933.5 ± 19.5 and 3.16 ± 0.07 mN kN/m, respectively. Meanwhile, the Gracilaria sp. pulp retained a higher brightness than Eucheuma sp. pulp. Pulp produced from treatment A (60% Gracilaria sp. pulp: 40% NBKP) resulted in the highest brightness of 67.18 ± 1.59%. 

ABSTRAK

Penelitian bertujuan untuk menentukan sifat pulp berbahan baku Gracilaria sp. dan Eucheuma sp. Penelitian dilaksanakan bulan Oktober 2016 di Institut Teknologi dan Sains Bandung serta Balai Besar Pulp dan Kertas. Gracilaria sp. dan Eucheuma sp. diproses dengan mengekstraksi selulosa pada suhu maksimum 80o C selama 140 menit (20 menit untuk mencapai suhu maksimum dan 120 menit pada suhu maksimum). Bahan kimia yang digunakan, yaitu NaOH sebanyak10% dari berat kering alga. Lembaran uji dibuat mengikuti metode TAPPI (T205 sp - 95). Variasi perlakuan penelitian adalah A (60% pulp alga : 40 % NBKP), B (70% pulp alga : 30% NBKP), C (80% pulp alga : 20% NBKP), dan D (100% NBKP). Pengamatan parameter meliputi bilangan Kappa, ketahanan sobek, ketahanan tarik dan derajat cerah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pulp Eucheuma sp. memiliki bilangan Kappa yang lebih rendah dari pulp Gracilaria sp. Ketahanan sobek dan ketahanan tarik tertinggi diperoleh dari perlakuan A (60% pulp Euchema sp. : 40 % NBKP), yaitu masing-masing sebesar 933,5 ± 19,5 mN dan 3,16 ± 0,07 kN/m. Sementara itu, lembaran uji dari pulp Gracilaria sp. memiliki derajat cerah lebih tinggi dari derajat cerah pulp Euchema sp. Derajat cerah tertinggi diperoleh dari perlakuan A (60% pulp Gracilaria sp. : 40 % NBKP) sebesar 67,18 ± 1,59 %.