12 J-FOR Journal of Science & Technology for Forest Products and Processes: VOL.2, NO.5, 2012 ABSTRACT Increasing concerns for future fibre supplies and potential increases in wood cost have strengthened the pulp and paper industry’s interest in alternative pulp fibre sources, i.e., agricultural wastes. Among these, the okra plant (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an excellent candidate because of its high crop yield. The okra plant consists of the stick (woody portion) and the fibre (bast). Okra fibre is characterized by high α-cellulose (56.7%) and low lignin (12.6%) content and the stick by low α-cellulose (34.3%) and high lignin (25.2%) content. The okra fibre is longer (3.0 mm), while stick fibre is shorter (0.63 mm). Soda-anthraquinone (AQ) and Kraft pulping of okra plants was carried out with varying chemical charges and cooking times. The Kraft process showed better pulp yield and delignification than the soda-AQ process. Kraft pulp also exhibited superior physical properties to those of soda-AQ pulp. Using equivalent bleaching chemicals, the Kraft pulp reached 82.1% brightness, while the soda-AQ pulp reached 76.8% brightness. Both pulps exhibited similar papermaking properties after bleaching. M. SARWAR JAHAN*, MOSHIKUR RAHMAN, M. MOSTAFIZUR RAHMAN CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF OKRA FIBRE (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS) AS A PULPING RAW MATERIAL Paper consumption is continuously in- creasing in the developing world, even in countries where wood resources are very limited. The acute shortage and high cost of wood-based raw materials is considered to be the most important factor restricting the growth of the Ban- gladeshi paper industry and its develop- ment into a globally competitive indus- try (1). Conditions are similar in many other regions of the world. Bangladesh is a densely populated, forest-deficient country which is mainly dependent on ag- riculture. Each year, a huge quantity of ag- ricultural wastes is generated, which may be a potential substitute for forest-based wood. Furthermore, economic utilization of agricultural residues in rational and in- novative ways is of prime interest in such countries. Such strategies have already been used to obtain full economic value from various agricultural crops available in different countries (2–7). In Bangladesh, many studies have been carried out to realize economic value from these agricultural wastes, as well as to overcome the shortage of wood re- sources. Jahan et al. (8,9) produced chemi- cal pulp from dhaincha in the laboratory and showed that a good-quality pulp can be produced from this source for packag- ing-grade paper. Cotton stalks have also proven to be a good raw material for pro- ducing writing- and printing-quality paper (10). Pulps from jute mill wastes have also shown potential as a softwood wood pulp substitute (11). This research has investigated pulp- ing of the okra plant (Abelmoschus esculen- tus), which is one of the major generators of vegetable wastes in Bangladesh. Okra is an annual or perennial plant, growing to 2 m tall. It is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. It is cul- tivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fi- brous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. It is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world (but severe frost can damage the pods) and will tolerate poor soils with INTRODUCTION M. SARWAR JAHAN Pulp and Paper Research Division, BCSIR Laboratories, Dr. Qudrat-i-Khuda Road, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh *Contact: sarwar2065@yahoo.co.uk MOSHIKUR RAHMAN Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh M. MOSTAFIZUR RAHMAN Pulp and Paper Research Division, BCSIR Laboratories, Dr. Qudrat-i-Khuda Road, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh