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Understanding the energy and emission implications of new technologies in a kraft mill: Insights from a CADSIM Plus simulation model, TAPPI Journal June 2024
ABSTRACT: Kraft mills play a vital role in energy transition because they have significant potential to reduce their own energy utilization and produce energy/products to decarbonize other sectors. Through biomass combustion and potential biogenic carbon emissions capture, these mills can contribute to offsetting emissions from other sectors. This research investigates the departmental and cross-departmental implications of technology upgrades on energy, steam, emissions, water, and chemicals using a CADSIM Plus simulation model. The model provides a comprehensive analysis of mass and energy balances, offering valuable insights into the benefits and limitations of each technology. The model facilitates scenario analysis and comparisons of process configurations, enabling data-driven decision-making for sustainable and competitive operations. Six high-impact technologies, including additional evaporator effects, weak black liquor membrane concentration, belt displacement washer for brownstock washing, oxygen delignification, and improvements to the pulp machine shoe press and vacuum pumps, are evaluated. Individual technologies resulted in energy savings of 1.2% to 5.4%, biomass consumption reductions of 8.6% to 31.6%, and total emissions reductions of 1.6% to 5.9%. Strategic decision-making must consider existing mill limitations, future technology implementation, and potential production increases. Future research will explore product diversification, biorefineries, and pathways to achieve carbon-negative operations, aiming to reduce emissions and secure a competitive future for kraft mills.
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Numerical analysis of the impact of rotor and screen hole plate design on the performance of a vertical pulper, TAPPI Journal April 2025
ABSTRACT: The dissolving of mechanical pulp is one of the most important process steps in stock preparation, since pulping occurs at the very beginning of the papermaking process. Efficient mixing of the pulp in a short amount of time is essential to achieve high furnish volume flow rates. The design of the rotor, as well as the pulper vat and inserts, significantly affects the overall performance of the pulper, such as mixing efficiency and power demand. Using advanced numerical methods such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can accelerate the development process. The CFD simulations allow for detailed analysis of flow phenomena, making it possible to study a real-size machine numerically. This approach is particularly advantageous because it can reduce the need for timeconsuming and costly experiments associated with scaling up test rigs. In this study, we compared two different rotor designs utilized in a vertical pulper and evaluated the numerical results with experimental data. Rotor A is designed for low turbulence and low power demand, while rotor B is designed for high turbulence with high power demand. The CFD results showed good agreement with the experimental measurements. We investigated how the rotor design influences the free fluid surface and the mixing efficiency. Our study also highlights the differences in results depending on whether water or furnish is simulated, which exhibit Newtonian or, respectively, non-Newtonian fluid behavior. Additionally, a detailed numerical investigation of various screen hole plate designs revealed that the newly developed hole design significantly reduces pressure loss compared to a standard drilled hole. This outcome was consistent for both types of fluids investigated: water and furnish.
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Characterization of the redispersibility of cellulose nanocrystals by particle size analysis using dynamic light scattering, TAPPI Journal April 2019
ABSTRACT: Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which are derived from the most abundant and inexhaustible natural polymer, cellulose, have received significant interest owing to their mechanical, optical, chemical, and rheological properties. In order to transport CNC products conveniently and efficiently, they are ideally dried and stored as pow-ders using freeze-drying or spray-drying technologies. The redispersibility of CNC powders is quite important for their end use; hence, a convenient method is required to characterize the redispersibility of CNC powders. In this paper, the possibility of characterizing the redispersibility of CNC powders by particle size analysis using dynamic light scattering (DLS) was investigated by comparing the results from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and DLS. The particle size obtained with DLS approximately matched that obtained with TEM. Compared with TEM, DLS is a quick and convenient method to measure the particle size distribution of CNCs in water. Two kinds of dispersing methods, sonication and high-speed shearing, and two kinds of CNCs prepared by different methods, sulfuric acid hydrolysis and the TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) oxidization method, were used to study the redis-persibility of CNCs. Sonication was more efficient than the high-speed shearing method for nanoscale dispersion of CNC powders in water. CNCs prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis could be more easily redispersed in water than those prepared by TEMPO oxidation.
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Priorities for development of standard test methods to support the commercialization of cellulose nanomaterials, TAPPI Journal April 2019
ABSTRACT: With the growing number of producers and users of cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), there is an increasing need to develop standard test methods to control production and quality of CNMs. In 2014, a Task Group was formed within the ISO Technical Committee 6 Paper, board and pulps to begin addressing the need for standards. This Task Group, TG 1, was tasked with reviewing existing standards and identifying the need for additional standards to characterize CNMs.In March 2018, TG 1 launched a survey to ask CNM producers around the world about the importance of having standard procedures to measure and quantify a variety of CNM properties, both physical and chemical. Producers were asked to identify the type(s) of CNM they produced and their scale of production, and to rank the properties for which they felt standard test methods were most important. In this paper, we summarize the survey responses and identify those properties of highest interest for producers of both cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nano- and microfibril-based materials (CNFs/CMFs). Properties of importance can be divided into three broad groups: i) a standard has either been developed or is under develop-ment, ii) a currently used standard could be adapted for use with CNMs, or iii) no standard is currently available and further R&D and consultation with industry is needed before a suitable and well-validated standard can be developed. The paper also examines the challenges of developing new standard methods for some of the key properties—as well as the feasibility and limitations of adapting exiting standards—to CNMs.
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Nanocellulose in Japan: An industrial perspective, TAPPI Journal April 2019
ABSTRACT: With the maturing of Japan’s economy, domestic demand for paper and paperboard is more likely to level off in the long term. Japanese paper companies are accelerating overseas production, especially in the emerging Asian markets, while strengthening competitiveness of domestic mills and developing new products. In Japan, we have always focused on emerging technologies and driving innovation in the pulp and paper industry. As a business definition, innovation does not equal innovative technology. Innovative technology can become innovation only when it is commercialized and used in industry.
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A study of the softness of household tissues using a tissue softness analyzer and hand-felt panels, TAPPI Journal March 2019
ABSTRACT: This study applied the reciprocal matrix approach to deduce the correlation between hand-felt (HF) and tissue softness analyzer (TSA) instrumental measurements of tissue softness. The research was conducted in three phases, which are discussed separately. In the phase one study, results indicated that systematic collection of samples and preparation of test specimens were the foundation of successful tests. TSA-HF and tensile strength exhibited a strong negative correlation. In the future, same-unit physical properties can provide a basis for discuss-ing the commonality and complementary natures of hand-felt and TSA softness measurements. In phase two, through the reciprocal matrix approach, subjective softness assessments performed by humans were reliably quan-tified. The quantified values were further applied to a statistical analysis using the t-test to distinguish and train pro-fessional panelists. In phase three of HF panel test results, all independent panels were compared to one another under a uniform scale established by four standard samples. The calibrated HF panel values were incorporated with TSA-HF results to establish technical curves between the softness and tensile strength, which were helpful for onsite workers to carry out process controls.
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Editorial: TAPPI Journal 2018 Best Research Paper delves deeper into press section rewet to address drying efficiency, TAPPI Journal March 2019
ABSTRACT: TAPPI and the TAPPI Journal (TJ) Editorial Board would like to congratulate the authors of the 2018 TAPPI Journal Best Research Paper Award: J. David “Dave” McDonald and Richard J. “Dick” Kerekes. Their paper, “Rewet in wet pressing of pa-per,” appeared on p. 479 of the September 2018 issue. This research was recognized by the Editorial Board for its in-novation, creativity, scientific merit, and clear expression of ideas.
Journal articles
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Editorial: Historical and evolving challenges in the coated paper industry, TAPPI Journal February 2019
Editorial: Historical and evolving challenges in the coated paper industry, TAPPI Journal February 2019
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Optimazation of coating with water-based barriers, TAPPI Journal February 2019
Optimazation of coating with water-based barriers, TAPPI Journal February 2019
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Nano-magnesium oxide as hard template synthesis of lignin carbon-based solid acids and its application for cellulose hyrdrolysis, TAPPI JOURNAL January 2019
Nano-magnesium oxide as hard template synthesis of lignin carbon-based solid acids and its application for cellulose hyrdrolysis, TAPPI JOURNAL January 2019