Pemanfaatan Batang Rasau sebagai Bahan Baku Molded Pulp Packaging melalui metode NSSC dan SCWE

Abstract

Batang rasau merupakan tumbuhan rawa gambut yang tumbuh melimpah namun belum banyak dimanfaatkan, sehingga berpotensi dikembangkan sebagai bahan baku kemasan biodegradable. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis kesesuaian serat batang rasau serta pengaruh metode pulping NSSC (Neutral Sulfite Semi-Chemical) dan SCWE (Subcritical Water Extraction) terhadap kualitas pulp sebagai bahan baku molded pulp packaging. Tahapan penelitian meliputi proses pulping, analisis komposisi kimia dan morfologi serat, refining hingga 32 °SR, pembentukan molded pulp, serta pengujian sifat fisik. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa NSSC menghasilkan kadar a-selulosa tertinggi (55,49%), hemiselulosa tertinggi (17,98%), dan lignin terendah (12,57%), sedangkan SCWE menghasilkan rendemen tertinggi (78,48%) dengan kadar lignin lebih tinggi (35,71%). Nilai tensile index NSSC (10,50 Nm/g) lebih tinggi dibandingkan SCWE (8,13 Nm/g). Secara keseluruhan, perlakuan NSSC menunjukkan potensi yang lebih baik sebagai bahan baku molded pulp packaging berbasis serat batang rasau.

Rasau stem is a peat swamp plant that grows abundantly yet remains underutilized, making it a promising candidate as a biodegradable packaging feedstock. This study aimed to analyze the suitability of pandan rasau stem fibers and evaluate the effect of NSSC (Neutral Sulfite Semi-Chemical) and SCWE (Subcritical Water Extraction) pulping methods on pulp quality for molded pulp packaging applications. The research stages included pulping, chemical composition and fiber morphology analyses, refining to 32 °SR, molded pulp formation, and physical property testing. The results showed that NSSC produced the highest alpha-cellulose content (55.49%), the highest hemicellulose content (17.98%), and the lowest lignin content (12.57%), whereas SCWE yielded the highest pulp yield (78.48%) with a higher lignin content (35.71%). The tensile index of NSSC pulp (10.50 Nm/g) was higher than that of SCWE pulp (8.13 Nm/g). Overall, the NSSC treatment demonstrated greater potential as a raw material for molded pulp packaging based on rasau stem fibers.