Cassia Gum Application in Paper Industry

Paper is produced by compressing the moist fibers of cellulose pulp which is derived from wood, rags or grasses, etc. and drying them into flexible sheets. Paper has a number of application in daily life, including- writing, printing, packaging, cleaning, decorating, and a number of industrial and construction processes. Earlier, the most common source for paper production was recycled fibers from used textiles, which were called rags. The rags used to be from hemp, linen, and cotton.

Papers can be made utilizing various properties of a material and it depends on the intended use. Papers are used as representing value in the form of currency, for- storing information as phonebook does, communication, packaging, personal use, etc. There are many types of paper but broadly they are divided into 7 categories- Printing paper, Wrapping paper, Writing paper, Blotting papers, Drawing paper, Handmade paper, Specialty paper.

Summary: The moist fibers of cellulose pulp, which is obtained from wood, rags or grasses, etc. are pressed to form paper. It has various application in our daily routine, such as- writing, printing, packaging, cleaning, etc. Papers can also be made from various other materials by making use of suitable properties.

Cassia Gum

Cassia gum is the flour obtained from the seeds of Senna obtusifolia and Senna tora. It comprises of at least 75% polysaccharide, primarily galactomannan with a mannose: galactose ratio of 5:1. Cassia gum is a natural gelling agent and this property makes it have numerous industrial & food applications. It grows in hot, wet, tropical climates and contains 1-2 % volatile cassia oil, which is mainly responsible for the spicy aroma and taste. The chemical constituents of cassia include- gum, tannins, mannitol, sugars, resins, mucilage, etc.

Summary: Cassia gum consists of at least 75% polysaccharide and has a mannose galactose ratio of 5:1. It is widely preferred for industrial & food applications since it is a natural gelling agent. Cassia gum is basically a flour obtained from the seeds of Senna obtusifolia and Senna tora.

Cassia Gum in Paper Industry

Paper is made either from pulps or fibers. The pulp can be acquired from the bark of a tree by 2 methods- Chemical pulping and Mechanical pulping. The chemical pulping process includes separation of lignin from the cellulose fibers by dissolving it in cooking liquor. This ensures that the lignin is washed away from the cellulose fibers which aids in preserving the length of fibers. Paper made from this method is known as a wood free paper. The pulp, thus produced, is fed to a paper machine to convert it into paper web. The water is removed from the pulp by pressing and drying. Pressing involves the removal of water from the sheet by force. Drying involves the application of air or heat for removal of water from the paper sheets. The most common method employed for drying is using steam-heated can dryer.

The addition of cassia gum increases fine retention and helps in maintaining dry and wet strength. It also helps in sheet formation and reduces the porosity of paper boards, photographic papers, filters, wrapping sheets, etc. Cassia gum powder shows good cold water solubility, solution stability, solution clarity, and increased viscosity. This implies that Cassia gum can be utilized in improved ways for industrial application such as the paper industry.

Summary: Cassia gum reduces the porosity of the paper and hence it is used for sheet formation. It also increases the fine retention and helps in maintaining dry and wet strength. The pulp obtained from the bark of the tree is converted into a paper web by feeding into a paper machine. There are two methods of pulping- Chemical & Mechanical Pulping.

The Bottom Line: Cassia gum due to its properties such as good cold water solubility, solution stability, solution clarity, and increased viscosity, shows the potential to be utilized for industrial applications, such as- paper manufacturing. It reduces the porosity of paper used in photography, filters, wrapping sheet, etc.