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Economic and competitive potential of lignin-based thermoplastics using a multicriteria decision-making method, TAPPI Journal September 2022
ABSTRACT: As a result of new lignin extraction plants hatching and increasing volumes of technical lignin becoming available, a variety of lignin derivatives, including phenolic resins and polyurethane (PU) foams, are reaching the marketplace or being used as intermediate products in many industrial applications. In the spectrum of possible lignin derivatives, thermoplastics appear particularly attractive due to a symbiosis of market, policy, and technology drivers. To assess the preferredness for lignin-based thermoplastics, this paper adapted a risk-oriented methodology formerly applied to assess lignin usage in various applications (phenol-formaldehyde [PF] resins, PU foams, and carbon fiber applications) to the case of lignin-based thermoplastics using hydroxypropylated lignin (HPL) and miscible blends of lignin and polyethylene oxide (PEO). The HPL is considered for garbage bags and agricultural films applications, while lignin-PEO blends are used as replacement for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in applications such as automotive parts. In the methodology, two phased-implementation strategies were defined for each thermoplastic derivative, considering perspectives for profit maximization (90 metric tons/day integrated units) and revenue growth (350 metric tons/day overall capacity), which were considered for implementation within a softwood kraft pulping mill. A set of six criteria representative of the main economic and market competitiveness issues were employed, and their respective importance weights were obtained in a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) panel.Early-stage techno-economic estimates were done as a basis for the calculation of decision criteria. Compared to product derivatives previously assessed, capital investment for thermoplastic strategies appeared marginally higher due to the required lignin modification steps (on average 30% higher at similar capacity, and 6% for higher-scale revenue diversification strategies). Higher operating costs were also observed due to increased chemical expenses for all thermoplastic strategies, which are ultimately balanced by revenues associated with targeted thermoplastic products, leading to greater annual margins and cash flow generation over the project lifetime for thermoplastic strategies compared to other product applications (58% to 66% higher on average, at similar scale). Benefits of improved economics were reflected in economic criteria, internal rate of return (IRR), and cash flow on capital employed (CFCE), as well as in the price competitiveness criterion, CPC. Overall, the combination of relatively high lignin content in the plastic formulation and the less costly modification method contributed to lignin-PEO strategies, gaining the top two rankings. Based on their overall scores, both strategies defined for HPL would also integrate the group of “preferred” strategies, but are outranked by strategies that consider lignin positioning on PU foam applications.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
A case study review of wood ash land application programs in North America, TAPPI Journal February 2021
ABSTRACT: Several regulatory agencies and universities have published guidelines addressing the use of wood ash as liming material for agricultural land and as a soil amendment and fertilizer. This paper summarizes the experiences collected from several forest products facility-sponsored agricultural application programs across North America. These case studies are characterized in terms of the quality of the wood ash involved in the agricultural application, approval requirements, recommended management practices, agricultural benefits of wood ash, and challenges confronted by ash generators and farmers during storage, handling, and land application of wood ash.Reported benefits associated with land-applying wood ash include increasing the pH of acidic soils, improving soil quality, and increasing crop yields. Farmers apply wood ash on their land because in addition to its liming value, it has been shown to effectively fertilize the soil while maintaining soil pH at a level that is optimal for plant growth. Given the content of calcium, potassium, and magnesium that wood ash supplies to the soil, wood ash also improves soil tilth. Wood ash has also proven to be a cost-effective alternative to agricultural lime, especially in rural areas where access to commercial agricultural lime is limited. Some of the challenges identified in the review of case studies include lengthy application approvals in some jurisdictions; weather-related issues associated with delivery, storage, and application of wood ash; maintaining consistent ash quality; inaccurate assessment of required ash testing; potential increased equipment maintenance; and misconceptions on the part of some farmers and government agencies regarding the effect and efficacy of wood ash on soil quality and crop productivity.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Continuous tannin extraction by use of screw reactor, TAPPI Journal February 2021
ABSTRACT: A pilot-size screw reactor (extraction unit) was used for tannin extraction of spruce. Yield of the same magnitude or better was obtained when comparing a screw reactor with batch reactors. A longer presoaking time in water seemed to be better than a short one for obtaining higher yield. A higher yield is obtained with lower dry-water ratio, which suggests that the internal diffusion in bark does not determine mass transfer as much as is the case without presoaking of bark. The higher dry-water ratio decreased the yield. The prior soaking of the bark also minimized the mechanical reactor feeding problems (clogging). The benefits of a screw reactor likely are that run time changes for different process conditions are flexible; it simplifies design and construction of an industrial unit for tannin production; and it saves space because of the need for fewer and smaller intermediate storage tanks.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Evaluation of soap recovery efficiency from black liquor — analytical tools, TAPPI Journal April 2023
ABSTRACT: Soap skimmings (“soap”) are typically recovered from black liquor in kraft mills that process a high percentage of softwood. In many mills, the recovery of soap is inefficient, negatively impacting performance of evaporators and recovery boilers and resulting in loss of potential revenue. A thorough evaluation of soap recovery performance in a kraft mill requires measurement of soap content in black liquor at various sampling locations, especially around the soap skimmer.The standard laboratory method for evaluating soap content in black liquor is a complex, multi-step process that relies on solvent extraction and titration; most mills send these samples to an outside laboratory for this analysis. In this study, 100 black liquor samples, with a wide range of soap concentrations, were tested by the standard solvent extraction method. After additional dilution, each sample was also tested for surface tension with a bubble pressure tensiometer. The results were found to correlate very closely with the solvent extraction tests results. This alternate method, using surface tension measurements of diluted black liquor samples, produces rapid results and can be easily implemented in most kraft mills, which would facilitate much more frequent in-house evaluations of soap recovery performance.
Journal articles
Treatment of edta-containing pulp and paper mill wastewaters in activated sludge plants, TAPPI JOURNAL, February 1999, Vol. 82(2)
Treatment of edta-containing pulp and paper mill wastewaters in activated sludge plants, TAPPI JOURNAL, February 1999, Vol. 82(2)
Journal articles
Australia's Paper and Forestry Forum: A Preview of Significant Issues for 1998-2008, TAPPI JOURNAL, January 1999, Vol. 83(5)
Australia's Paper and Forestry Forum: A Preview of Significant Issues for 1998-2008, TAPPI JOURNAL, January 1999, Vol. 83(5)
Journal articles
A financial analysis of north american pulp, paper and packaging firms, TAPPI JOURNAL, September 1999, Vol. 82(9)
A financial analysis of north american pulp, paper and packaging firms, TAPPI JOURNAL, September 1999, Vol. 82(9)
Journal articles
Characterization of refined papermaking pulps using hydrodynamic parameters from filtration analysis, TAPPI JOURNAL May 2015
Characterization of refined papermaking pulps using hydrodynamic parameters from filtration analysis, TAPPI JOURNAL May 2015
Journal articles
The pulp and paper industry in India, TAPPI JOURNAL, August 1997, Vol. 80(8)
The pulp and paper industry in india, TAPPI JOURNAL, August 1997, Vol. 80(8)
Journal articles
Old giants rearm in northern India, TAPPI JOURNAL, August 1997, Vol. 80(8)
Old giants rearm in northern india, TAPPI JOURNAL, August 1997, Vol. 80(8)