Nature and Science, 2012; 10(4) http://www.sciencepub.net/nature 76 Environment friendly alkaline pulping of Albizia lebbeck from Sudan Osman Taha Elzaki 1 , Tarig Osman Khider 2 * , Safaa Hassan Omer 3 Suhair Kamal Shomeina 1 1 Institute for Technological Research, National Centre for Research, P.O. Box 2404, Khartoum State, Sudan 2* Departments of Pulp and Paper—College of Applied and Industrial Sciences, University of Bahri, Khartoum State, Sudan, Telephone 00249922240925 email: tkhider@yahoo.com 3 Department of Forestry—College of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Bahri, Khartoum State, Sudan Abstract: Albizia lebbeck stems, woody fibers resources from Khartoum state were cooked with alkaline sulphite- anthraquinone-AS-AQ and alkaline sulphite anthraquinone with addition of methanol-ASAM -an environment friendly process having high yield and strength properties. The present study aimed to investigate the suitability of A. lebbeck for pulping with AS-AQ and ASAM processes. AS-AQ applied with alkali charge 18.6-20% and two NaOH: Na 2 SO 3 ratios mainly 60:40 and 70:30, it was indicted that the latter ratio had better results. The screened yields were 46.73-48.53%, viscosities 811-922 mlg -1 , Kappa numbers 17.92-20.96 and ISO brightness 25-30%. ASAM process gave good to excellent physical properties, screened yields 46.65-47.53%, low Kappa numbers 13.27-20.53, viscosities 946-991 mlg -1 and ISO brightness 30.7-34.8%. [Osman Taha Elzaki, Tarig Osman Khider * , Safaa Hassan Omer and Suhair Kamal Shomeina, Environment friendly alkaline pulping of Albizia lebbeck from Sudan. Nature and Science 2012;10(4):76-82]. (ISSN: 1545- 0740) http://www.sciencepub.net/nature. 12. Key words: Albizia lebbeck, Papermaking, Pulp strength properties, Alkaline sulphite with anthraquinone, ASAM process. Introduction Sudan is rich country with pulp and papermaking raw materials that include non-woody plants, agricultural residue, recycled papers, as well as hard wood species. Albizia lebbeck found in deciduous and semi-deciduous monsoon forests, and rainforests in its native habitat, and in a variety of situations in the humid and semi-arid tropics and subtropics, a multipurpose, fast growing tree species widely grown in the tropical region; it has been introduced to Sudan since sixties of last century and was basically used as an ornamental or shade tree [1 and 2]. A. lebbeck found in dense deciduous forests in tropical and sub- tropical countries of Asia, as Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, Africa, and Australia [3]. A. lebbeck can attain a height of 30 m and a diameter of 1 m, more often it is 15-20 m tall with a diameter of 50 cm [4]. A. lebbeck can make an important contribution to plant and animal production from tropical pastures and could be of special value in areas with salinity problems [5 and 6]. A. lebbeck forms symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium and fix atmospheric nitrogen used for its growth and also for the enrichment of the rhizosphere [7]. The extract from A. lebbeck leaves shows sensitivity for both gram positive and gram negative bacteria with maximum against Escherichia coli [8]. The petroleum ether extracts of A. lebbeck leaves displayed the presence ten types of alkaloids with ten different Rf values with range from 0.02-0.85 [9]. Extract of A. lebbeck demonstrated that this plant has significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties [10]. The leaves are good fodder with much protein contents contains saponin, macrocyclic alkaloids, phenolic glycosides, and flavonids [11]. The extract of stem bark contain saponin and exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against human aqueous cell carcinoma [12], and effective drug in bronchial asthma [13]. Alkaline pulping processes were heavily investigated by researchers on different raw materials, SAS-AQ pulping process offers many advantages including high pulp yield, better mechanical strength properties comparable to Kraft pulp [14]. The ASAM process is environment friendly as no obnoxious smell is emitted after cooking [15]. In ASAM pulping the synergistic effect of AQ and methanol provided a far selective delignification [16] Refiner mechanical pulp from A. lebbeck was yielded 50-60% with strength properties better than or equivalent to these conventional chemical pulps which have a yield of 40-45% [17]. The physical and anatomical properties of Albizia lebbeck wood have shown that, it could be a good material for pulp production without serious problems for liquor penetration [18]. As continuation of previous study in pulping of Albizia lebbeck with soda and soda-anthraquinone processes [18], the objective of the current work was