Features Research & Innovation
Understanding the Effect of Chemical Pretreatment on Properties of Aspen CTMP

Effet du prtraitement chimique sur les proprits de la pte chimico-thermomcanique (PCTM) de tremble

Abstract: In this study, the effect of sulfite and sodium hydroxide pretreatment on aspen CTMP fiber properties was examined in comparison with the impregnation with water only, aiming to understand how the impregnation chemicals affect fibre morphology and fibre surface chemistry and how these properties relate to fiber separation, refining, and pulp properties. Impregnation of wood chips with sulfite resulted in more long fibers, less fines and shives, and a higher brightness compared with impregnation of wood chips with water only. It is observed that sulphonated pulps have more middle lamella coated fibers after the first-stage refining and more flake-like fines than the pulp produced from water impregnation. This is mainly attributed to the difference in fiber separation. The pulp produced from water impregnation has a lower light scattering coefficient than the sulphonated pulp although the former has more fines.

Paper presented at 94th PAPTAC Annual Meeting in Montreal, February 5-7, 2008

Full manuscript available at www.paptac.ca.