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Summaries from TAPPI Journal October and November 2025 Issue, Paper360º January/February 2026

Why Your Maintenance Strategy Might Be Costing You a Fortune (and How RCM Can Fix It), Paper360º January/February 2026

TAPPI News, Paper360º January/February 2026

ASPI News, Paper360º January/February 2026

Formic acid pulping process of rice straw for manufacturing of cellulosic fibers with silica, TAPPI Journal August 2021

ABSTRACT: Emerging technology has the potential to develop entirely new approaches for producing cellulose fiber-based materials along with fuels and chemical raw materials like lignin and furfural. Rice straw is a rich source of cellulosic fibers and inorganic micronic-sized particles termed as ash. They can prove helpful in development of new or enhanced agricultural residue-based materials and products that offer cost effective substitutes for nonrenewable materials used in different domestic and industrial applications. Lignocellulose is an abundant material that is submicronic at the basic level. Rice straw is a fibrous lignocellulosic material obtained as agricultural residue, but it differs from most crop residues in its high content of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Ash content on a dry weight basis ranges from 13% to 20%, varying according to the state of conservation of the straw after harvest. The ash in rice straw has nearly 75% SiO2. The particle size analysis shows variation from a few microns to hundreds of microns for inorganic residues left after burning at high temperatures above 550°C. Proximate analysis of rice straw shows that it contains 54% to 56% holocellulose and 15% to 18% lignin, both of which are natural biopolymers. The compound analysis shows the different compounds present in rice straw ash.Rice straw is available in hundreds of million tons in India and other Asian countries, so suitable technologies are required to convert rice straw from a biomass waste to useful bioproducts like pulp, paper, and paperboard. This research paper is intended to obtain pulp with fibers having inherent silica present in it to give high opacity paper and better bonding between fibers.

Technological evaluation of Pinus maximinoi wood for industrial use in kraft pulp production, TAPPI Journal August 2021

ABSTRACT: This study characterized Pinus maximinoi wood and evaluated its performance for pulp production. Samples of Pinus taeda wood were used as reference material. For both species, wood chips from 14-year-old trees were used for the technological characterization, pulping, bleaching process analysis, and pulp properties. A modified kraft pulping process was carried out targeting kappa number 28±5% on brownstock pulp. The bleaching sequence was applied for bleached pulp with final brightness of 87±1 % ISO. Refinability and resistance properties were measured in the bleached pulps. Compared to P. taeda wood, P. maximinoi showed slightly higher basic density (0.399 g/cm³) and higher holocellulose (64.5%), lignin (31.1%), and extractives content (4.5%), along with lower ash content (0.16%). P. maximinoi tracheids showed greater wall thickness (6.4 µm) when compared to P. taeda tracheids. For the same kappa number, P. maximinoi and P. taeda resulted in similar screened yield, with an advantage observed for P. maximinoi, which resulted in lower specific wood consumption (5.281 m³/o.d. metric ton), and lower black liquor solids (1.613 metric tons/o.d. metric ton). After oxygen delignification, P. maximinoi pulp showed higher efficiency on kappa reduction (67.2%) and similar bleaching chemical demand as P. taeda pulp. Compared to P. taeda pulps, the refined P. maximinoi pulps had similar results and the bulk property was 10% higher. Results showed that P. maximinoi is an interesting alternative raw material for softwood pulp production in Brazil.

Can carbon capture be a new revenue opportunity for the pulp and paper sector?, TAPPI Journal August 2021

ABSTRACT: Transition towards carbon neutrality will require application of negative carbon emission technologies (NETs). This creates a new opportunity for the industry in the near future. The pulp and paper industry already utilizes vast amounts of biomass and produces large amounts of biogenic carbon dioxide. The industry is well poised for the use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which is considered as one of the key NETs. If the captured carbon dioxide can be used to manufacture green fuels to replace fossil ones, then this will generate a huge additional market where pulp and paper mills are on the front line. The objective of this study is to evaluate future trends and policies affecting the pulp and paper industry and to describe how a carbon neutral or carbon negative pulp and paper production process can be viable. Such policies include, as examples, price of carbon dioxide allowances or support for green fuel production and BECCS implementation. It is known that profitability differs depending on mill type, performance, energy efficiency, or carbon dioxide intensity. The results give fresh understanding on the potential for investing in negative emission technologies. Carbon capture or green fuel production can be economical with an emission trade system, depending on electricity price, green fuel price, negative emission credit, and a mill’s emission profile. However, feasibility does not seem to evidently correlate with the performance, technical age, or the measured efficiency of the mill.

Deinking Difficulties Related to Ink Formulation, Printing P

Deinking Difficulties Related to Ink Formulation, Printing Process and Type of Paper

Editorial: TAPPI Journal 2024 Best Research Paper focuses on realistic potential for using nonwood residues in sustainable packaging, TAPPI Journal April 2025

ABSTRACT: Each year, the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board honors outstanding content by nominating and voting for the Best Research Paper published the previous year based on scientific merit, innovation, creativity, and clarity. TAPPI and the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board would like to congratulate the authors of the 2024 TAPPI Journal Best Research Paper: Antonio Suarez, Ashok Ghosh, Fritz Paulsen, and Peter W. Hart of Smurfit Westrock (formerly WestRock). The winning paper, “Life cycle carbon analysis of packaging products containing nonwood residues: A case study on linerboard and corrugating medium,” was published in the March 2024 issue.

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.