A Professor in Mansoura University Proposing a Huge project for Paper Production

Prof. Mohammed Kenawy; President of Mansoura University met Prof. Mahmoud Abdalkawy Zahran- professor at Botany Department, Faculty of Science to honor him for his efforts and scientific achievements, as well as to discuss his draft of cultivating a plant for paper production in large quantities.
Prof. Mahmoud Zahran proposed a project for high-quality paper production out of the Juncus plant. The Juncus is a very high salinity endurance plant that can be found in the deserts and beaches of Egypt. It grows naturally in vast areas of lands along the Egyptian coast. The plant is evergreen and endures high soil salinity and extremely hot climate. It is characterized by its long fibers that are required for the paper industry, as well as flexibility and intensity. Some chemical studies were done over the Juncus plant that showed that it has high rate of fibers, lignin and Cellulose which are mainly used in paper production.
Laboratory and half-industrial experiments that were done in the factories of the national Paper Company in Alexandria confirmed that the Juncus plant gives high possibilities to produce high-quality paper. It has been proven that the quality of the pulp resulting from it is up to 75% comparing it to the imported paper Pulp. Also, the pulp produced from reeds is about 42%, while the pulp of rice straw is about 24%. In addition, the experiences of cultivating Juncus in saline lands at Al-Manzala Lake in Egypt were successful.
Juncus works on absorbing salts from the soil that helps in reclaiming the high salinity sandy soil. It is planted by seeds once to give vegetative crop for many years. It can produce about 40 tons of green leaves per acre every year. These amounts of green leaves can produce about 15 tons of paper pulp that give about 6 tons of paper annually.
It worth mentioning, the International Foundation for Science in Sweden agreed on funding the project for three consecutive years for its great importance.