Study of Defibration of Rice Husk Depending on the Mechanical Treatment Methods

We investigated the effect of mechanical treatments on the defibration behavior of rice husk for determining the optimal condition for the production of the non-woody fibers. The investigation examined the behavior of rice husk defibration under different mechanical treatment methods, levels of solid consistency, and working temperatures. Two types of mechanical treatment methods including the traditional valley beater and the high speed grinder were applied for this study. Higher impact by high speed grinder generated more amount of fibers and fines, respectively than those by the valley beater. In the same mechanical treatment method, the higher solid consistency and the higher working temperature could promote more fiber generation. Consequently, this study showed the possibility of the effective production of non-woody cellulose fiber from rice husk by mild alkaline pretreatment and following optimal mechanical defibration condition. © 2023 Korean Technical Assoc. of the Pulp and Paper Industry. All rights reserved.