ASSESSING BIOPULPING AS AN ECOFRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY FOR PAPER MAKING FROM RICE STRAW USING PLEUROTUS SAJOR-CAJUSumaya Manzoor, Shoukat Ara, Javeed Iqbal Ahmad Bhat, Nageena Nazir, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, Farooq Ahmad Khan, Shayesta Islam Iqra Binti Ayoub and Humayun AzadAbstract The present investigation was conducted to study and evaluate biopulping as an ecofriendly process for paper production using white rot fungi Pleurotus sajor-caju. A chemical analysis of the rice straw utilized in this study as the substrate revealed that it had the characteristics that make it a promising raw material for the manufacturing of pulp and paper. Rice straw subjected to fungal treatment for periods of 20, 40 and 60 days was investigated and compared to the untreated control. The findings demonstrated that the biological treatment of rice straw with Pleurotus sajor-caju for 60 days led to a significant reduction in pulp yield and kappa number from that of the control. Paper properties was also examined and it was found that exposure duration enhanced its tensile strength, tear index, burst index, double fold number, and brightness. The study concluded that using rice straw as a raw material and processing it in a manner that is ecologically safe can be beneficial for achieving sustainable growth. |