Journal of Korea TAPPI 펄프종이기술 ISSN:0253-3200(Print)

Brewer’s spent grain is one of the major by-products in the food industry. However, brewer’s spent grain is limited to its application as animal feed. In this study, the applicability of the brewer’s spent grain in pulp mold manufacturing as a substitute for wood pulp was investigated. Mechanical and alkali pretreatments of the brewer’s spent grain were studied to increase its applicability as a raw material for pulp mold. The addition of brewer’s spent grain improved drainage and drying rates during the forming process, enhancing the bulk of the pulp mold. Simultaneously, it also reduced the tensile strength of the pulp mold. However, through mechanical and alkaline pretreatments of the brewer’s spent grain, the tensile strength of the pulp mold, particularly in the production of hot-pressed pulp mold, increased. This enhancement was attributed to the starch gelatinization originated from the brewer’s spent grain during the hot pressing process.