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A Comparative Evaluation of Explosion Hazards in Chemical and Mechanical Pulp Bleaching Systems
August 1, 2010 By Pulp & Paper Canada
Abstract: Three pulp mills in North America using 50% hydrogen peroxide have suffered explosions of pumps, mixers, and tanks. In two instances, alkali-catalyzed decomposition of peroxide is implicated…
Abstract: Three pulp mills in North America using 50% hydrogen peroxide have suffered explosions of pumps, mixers, and tanks. In two instances, alkali-catalyzed decomposition of peroxide is implicated in the explosion. Although many mechanical pulping facilities use hydrogen peroxide to bleach pulp, no alkali- catalyzed explosions have been reported. This research uses a kinetic model of peroxide decomposition to explain why the peroxide bleaching process used for mechanical pulps has lower risks than processes used to bleach chemical pulps.
Keywords: HYDROGEN PEROXIDE EXPLOSION, DECOMPOSI-TION, KINETIC MODEL, MECHANICAL PULP, BLEACHING.
Full manuscript available at www.paptac.ca.
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