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Investigation of the influencing factors in odor emission from wet-end white water, TAPPI Journal October 2020
ABSTRACT: Emission of malodorous gases, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and ammonia (NH3) during pulping and papermaking has caused certain harm to the air environment and human health. This paper investigated the influencing factors of odor emission from wet-end white water during the production of bobbin paper in a papermaking mill using old corrugated containers (OCC) as raw material. The concentration of malodorous gases emitted from wet-end white water was determined with pump-suction gas detectors. The results indicated that low temperature could limit the release of malodorous gases from white water. Specifically, no total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), H2S, and NH3 was detected at a temperature of 15°C. The concentrations of malodorous gases were slightly increased when temperature increased to 25°C. When temperature was 55°C, the released concentrations of TVOC, H2S, and NH3 were 22.3 mg/m3, 5.91 mg/m3, and 2.78 mg/m3, respectively. Therefore, the content of malodorous gases significantly increased with the temperature increase. The stirring of white water accelerated the release of malodorous gases, and the release rate sped up as the stirring speed increased. However, the total amount of malodorous gases released were basically the same as the static state. Furthermore, the higher the concentration of white water, the greater the amount of malodorous gases released. The pH had little influence on the TVOC release, whereas it significantly affected the release of H2S and NH3. With the increase of pH value, the released amount of H2S and NH3 gradually decreased. When pH reached 9.0, the release amount of H2S and NH3 was almost zero, proving that an alkaline condition inhibits the release of H2S and NH3.
Journal articles
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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.
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Considerations in managing wastewater odor at pulp and paper operations, TAPPI Journal March 2022
ABSTRACT: Many pulp and paper mills are, at least periodically, faced with the release of odors that can migrate offsite and be considered a nuisance by nearby residents. At chemical pulp mills, perceptible odors associated with reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) are common, many of which are highly perceptible owing to their low odor thresholds. As releases of RSCs and other odorous substances from production processes are progressively controlled, the proportional contribution from wastewater treatment systems to areal odors can increase. This review paper summarizes important fundamentals of odor generation, source identification, and control. Common odorous substances are identified, and mechanisms for their generation are summarized. Approaches for measuring odorous substances are detailed to enable more effective management, and various odor control strategies are discussed.
Journal articles
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Evaluation of rice straw for purification of lovastatin, TAPPI Journal November 2021
ABSTRACT: Cholesterol synthesis in the human body can be catalyzed by the coenzyme HMG-CoA reductase, and lovastatin, a key enzyme inhibitor, can reduce hypercholesterolemia. Lovastatin can be obtained as a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus terreus ATCC 20542. In this study, rice straw of lignocellulose was used in aeration and agitation bath fermentation in a 1-L flask, and a maximal crude extraction rate of 473 mg/L lovastatin was obtained. The crude extract was treated with silica gel (230–400 mesh) column chromatography. Ethyl acetate/ethanol (95%) was used as the mobile phase, and isolation was performed through elution with various ethyl acetate/ethanol ratios. The highest production rate of 153 mg/L was achieved with ethyl acetate/ethanol in a ratio of 8:2. The lovastatin gained from the crude extract was added to 12 fractions treated with 0.001 N alkali, and acetone was then added. After 24 h of recrystallization at 4°C, the extract underwent high-performance liquid chromatography. The purity had increased from 25% to 84.6%, and the recovery rate was 65.2%.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Application of spruce wood flour as a cellulosic-based wood additive for recycled paper applications— A pilot paper machine study, TAPPI Journal October 2021
ABSTRACT: This study gives a first insight into the use of wood flour as a plant-based and cellulosic-based alter-native additive for newsprint and paperboard production using 100% recycled fibers as a raw material. The study compares four varieties of a spruce wood flour product serving as cellulosic-based additives at addition rates of 2%, 4%, and 6% during operation of a 12-in. laboratory pilot paper machine. Strength properties of the produced news-print and linerboard products were analyzed. Results suggested that spruce wood flour as a cellulosic-based additive represents a promising approach for improving physical properties of paper and linerboard products made from 100% recycled fiber content. This study shows that wood flour pretreated with a plant-based polysaccharide and untreated spruce wood flour product with a particle size range of 20 μm to 40 μm and 40 μm to 70 μm can increase the bulk and tensile properties in newsprint and linerboard applications.
Journal articles
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Tetraethyl orthosilicate-containing dispersion coating — water vapor and liquid water barrier properties, TAPPI Journal September 2021
ABSTRACT: An aqueous styrene-butadiene latex dispersion coating containing in-situ processed tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) applied on paperboard demonstrated improved water barrier performance. Coatings containing TEOS equivalent to 0.8% silicon dioxide (SiO2; dry basis) exhibited water vapor performance of < 25 g/m2/day (23°C, 50% relative humidity [RH]) and liquid water barrier performance Cobb 1800 s of < 6 g/m2, when applied as a single-layer 18 g/m2 coating. Cobb 1800 s barrier performance was still good (< 11 g/m2) at coat weights of 7–10 g/m2. The use of filler materials such as kaolin improved the vapor barrier properties of the coating, but this was not critical to the liquid water barrier properties.
Journal articles
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Effects of different ammonium lignosulfonate contents on the crystallization, rheological behaviors, and thermal and mechanical properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer/polypropylene/ammonium lignosulfonate composites, TAPPI Journal January 2020
ABSTRACT: Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), made from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and polypropylene (PP) based on reactive blending, has an excellent processing performance and characteristics and a wide range of applications. However, there are currently no reports in the literature regarding the usage of TPE in making composite boards. In this paper, EPDM, PP, and ammonium lignosulfonate (AL) were used as the raw materials, polyethylene wax was used as the plasticizer, and a dicumyl peroxide vulcanization system with dynamic vulcanization was used to make a new kind of composite material. This research studied the influences of the AL contents on the crystallization behaviors, rheological properties, thermal properties, and mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the AL content had a noticeable impact on the performance of the composite board. Accordingly, this kind of composite material can be used as an elastomer material for the core layer of laminated flooring.
Journal articles
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Eucalyptus black liquor properties in a lignin extraction process: density, dry solids, viscosity, inorganic, and organic content, TAPPI Journal March 2023
ABSTRACT: Extracting lignin from black liquor is becoming more common, although only a few research papers discuss the impact of the process on the liquor’s primary properties. This work aims to determine the changes in black liquor properties as it undergoes a lignin extraction process using carbon dioxide (CO2). A diluted eucalyptus black liquor sample (DBL) was acidified with CO2 to a final pH of 8.5. After filtration, the kraft lignin was removed, and the filtrated lignin lean black liquor (LLBL) was collected. Five acidified black liquors (ABL) samples were collected during acidification at pH 10.5; 10.0; 9.5; 9.0; and 8.5. The samples were analyzed regarding lignin content in solution, sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), density, dry solids content, and viscosity. While Na2SO4 remained almost constant, Na2CO3 presented an enormous increase in its concentration when comparing DBL with LLBL. As pH decreased, the lignin content in the solution was also reduced due to lignin precipitation. The results showed similar behavior for dry solids, density, and viscosity of the supernatant, but an increase in density was observed around pH 9.00. In light of this, the density of LLBL turns out to be closer to the one in the initial DBL. The significant increase in carbonate content could explain this behavior during acidification with CO2 once the inorganic content significantly influences the property. The viscosity was determined from 10 s-1 to 2000 s-1. We observed a Newtonian behavior for all samples. The increase in carbonate content in the sample is crucial information to the recovery cycle, especially for calculating the mass and energy balance when targeting the use of the LLBL.
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On the diagnosis of a fouling condition in a kraft recovery boiler: combining process knowledge and data-based insights, TAPPI Journal March 2023
ABSTRACT: Fouling is still a major challenge for the operation of kraft recovery boilers. This problem is caused by accumulation of ash deposits on the surfaces of heat exchangers in the upper part of the boiler over time. The first consequence is the reduction of steam production due to loss of heat transfer and, finally, the shutdown of the boiler due to clogging. The present work investigated the operational condition of a modern kraft boiler under a critical fouling condition. This boiler had even faced a manual cleaning due to a clogging event. This analysis combined process knowledge, plant team experience, and a data-driven approach, given the complexity of the process. In this sense, historical data covering this critical period of operation were collected. After a cleaning procedure, they were used to obtain a predictive neural network model for the flue gas pressure drop in the boiler bank, which is an indirect measure of ash deposit accumulation. Once validated, it was used for sensitivity analysis, with the aim of quantifying the effects of the model inputs. Five variables out of eighteen accounted for nearly 60% of the total effect on pressure drop. Namely, primary air temperature (21.6% of the total effect) and flow rate (11.1%), black liquor flow rate (9.9%) and temperature (8.4%), and white liquor sulfidity (8.6%). The analysis of these results mainly suggested an excess of carryover, which composes the ash deposits. Recommended actions to mitigate the fouling condition involved adjustments to the primary air system before the more drastic solution of reducing the boiler load.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Value creation by converting pulp mill flue gas streams to green fuels, TAPPI Journal March 2023
ABSTRACT: Climate change mitigation induces strong growth in renewable electricity production, partly driven by shifts in environmental policies and regulation. Intermittent renewable electricity requires supporting systems in the form of sustainable hydrocarbon chemicals such as transportation fuels. Bulk chemical production fits well into a pulp mill environment, given their large volumes, stable operation, and ample supply of biomass-based carbon feed-stock in the form of flue gases. Until now, the utilization of the flue gases from conventional operation of a pulp mill has received little attention. Harnessing these flue gases into usable products could offer additional value to mill operators, while also diversifying their product portfolio. However, electricity-based fuels and products require extra energy in the conversion step and may not be commercially competitive with current fossil products under the current regulation. There might also be uncertainties about future commodity prices. Thus, the objective of this study is to estimate the economic competitiveness and the added value of selected side products that could be produced alongside conventional pulp and paper products. A typical modern pulp mill is modeled in different product configurations and operational environments, which allows testing of various development paths. This illustrates how the overall energy and mass balance of a pulp mill would react to changes in different final products and other parameters. The focus of the study is in synthetic methanol, which is produced from flue gases and excess resources from the mill, with minimal interference to the pulping process. The results aid in assessing the necessity and magnitude of a premium payment for subsidizing green alter-natives to replace current fossil fuels and chemicals. Additionally, the results function as an indicator of the development state of the pulp and paper industry in the turmoil of climate change regulation. The results indicate that power-to-X systems offer one more viable pathway alternative for broadening the product portfolio of the pulp and paper sector, as well as opening new flexibility measures and services to grid stabilization. Market conditions were found to have a significant impact on the perceived profitability.