1. |
- Kristiansen, Anna Vollo, et al.
(author)
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Electro-assisted filtration of microfibrillated cellulose : the impact of the degree of fibrillation
- 2023
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In: Cellulose. - : Springer Nature. - 0969-0239 .- 1572-882X. ; 30:16, s. 10097-10116
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Efficient dewatering is necessary to achieve an economically sustainable large-scale production of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) because the low solids content of the final product (< 3 wt.%) results in high costs related to transportation and storage, and problems for products with water incompatibility. Mechanical dewatering is preferred to thermal drying due to its lower energy demand, but MFC has a very high filtration resistance, which implies that an excessive filter area is necessary. Thus, to improve the dewatering, electro-assisted filtration may be used. In this study a bench-scale dead-end filter press was modified and the electro-assisted filtration of MFC, with two degrees of fibrillation, was investigated. The impact of the degree of fibrillation was clear when either pressure or electric field were applied separately. It was more challenging to dewater MFC with a higher degree of fibrillation using conventional filtration due to a greater surface area being subjected to the liquid flow. The opposite was found when using an electric field alone: the more fibrillated material has a higher surface charge and thereby is impacted more by the electric field. A combination of pressure and electric field resulted in a greatly improved dewatering rate, but no significant difference could be observed between the two qualities. After dewatering, the water retention value was slightly decreased, but the material still showed a gel-like behaviour, although the network strength was slightly reduced, as seen by a reduction in yield stress, storage and loss moduli. This was plausibly due to a decrease in the surface area and/or deformed network.
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2. |
- Magnusson, Hans, 1943-
(author)
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From recovery boiler to integration of a textile fiber plant : Combination of mass balance analysis and chemical engineering
- 2015
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Modern chemical technology is an efficient tool for solving problems, particularly within the complex environment of the pulp and paper industry, and the combination of experimental studies, mill data and mass balance calculations are of fundamental importance to the development of the industry. In this study various examples are presented, whereby chemical technology is of fundamental importance.It is well documented that under normal conditions the molten salt mixture from the kraft recovery boiler flows down into the dissolving tank without problems. However, in the case of alternatives to the kraft recovery boiler, knowledge of more precise data of the molten salts is required for the design calculations. In this study the viscosity for the case of sodium carbonate and 30 mole% sulphide has been measured and is of the magnitude 2 – 3 cP at temperatures relevant for a recovery boiler, i.e. similar to water at room temperature.The presence of non-process elements (NPE) in a typical pulp mill has been investigated. The main input is with regards to the wood, and anticipated problems include; deposits in evaporators, high dead-load in liquor streams, plugging of the upper part of the recovery boiler and decreasing efficiency in the causticization department. Efficient green liquor clarification is of the greatest importance as an efficient kidney for many NPE. Mill data and calculations show that the magnesium added in the oxygen delignification does not form a closed loop.Integration of a prehydrolysis kraft pulp mill producing dissolving pulp with a plant producing viscose textile fiber could be highly beneficial. The prehydrolysis liquor will contain both sugars and acetic acid. It is however not possible to fully replace the sulphuric acid of the viscose spinning bath with acetic acid of own production. The sulphuric chemicals from the viscose plant can be partly taken care of in the kraft recovery area as well as the viscose plant which can be supplied with alkali and sulphuric acid. Zinc-containing effluents from the viscose plant can be treated with green liquor to precipitate zinc sulphide.
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3. |
- Abdel Hady, Ahmed Wagih Abdallah, 1990, et al.
(author)
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In situ microstructural evolution of spruce wood during soda pulping using synchrotron X-ray tomography
- 2022
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In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1437-434X .- 0018-3830. ; 76:7, s. 611-621
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new laboratory reactor to perform in situ studies of structural changes in wood during soda pulping using synchrotron X-ray tomography is presented. The reactor is of recirculation type to provide stable reaction conditions and mimic the industrial situation. Experiments have been performed using this reactor in situ at a synchrotron microtomography beamline to provide sequences of 3D images from which measurement of wood cell wall thickness have been possible for the first time. The results showed that the cell wall thickness increased significantly in the early stage of pulping (<10 min), which is due to the transportation of cooking chemicals through the tracheids, resin channels and pits into the cell wall, which is swollen with the increased pH. Subsequently, the cell wall thickness reduces over the processing time up to 60 min with a high rate, which is inferred to be due to the dissolution and transport of lignin and hemicellulose from the secondary walls, allowing for better transportation of active chemicals deep through the cell wall layers. After 60 min processing, the cell wall thickness reduction rate reduced, as dissolution of lignin and hemicelluloses from the cell walls ceased, while the remaining dissolution occurs mainly at the middle lamella.
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4. |
- Abdel Hady, Ahmed Wagih Abdallah, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Micro/nano-structural evolution in spruce wood during soda pulping
- 2021
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In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1437-434X .- 0018-3830. ; 75:8, s. 754-764
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alkaline delignification of wood tissue is the core of the global pulping technology and the most prominent large-scale separation of the main wood components. This work aims at improved understanding of the interplay between the topochemistry of alkaline pulping and the associated morphological changes. Morphology and chemical structure of partially soda-delignified wood chips were studied combining X-ray tomography (XRT), X-ray diffraction analysis and compositional characterization (lignin and carbohydrate content). The XRT studies of wet samples (providing 3D structural information without interfering drying effects), allowed observation of the cell wall separation as an increasing amount of lignin was removed with the increasing pulping time. Comparison between the microstructure of the surface and the central parts of the treated chips showed a more delignified microstructure at the surface, which highlights the dependence of the delignification process on the mass transport (hydroxide ions and lignin fragments) through the wood tissue. The crystallite size of cellulose increased in the <200> crystal planes during the early stage of pulping while there was little effect on the <110> plane.
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5. |
- Ahlbom, Anders, 1993, et al.
(author)
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On the hydrothermal depolymerisation of kraft lignin using glycerol as a capping agent
- 2023
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In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1437-434X .- 0018-3830. ; 77:3, s. 159-169
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Depolymerisation of kraft lignin under hydrothermal conditions was investigated at short residence times (1–12 min) with glycerol being used as a capping agent. The weight average molecular weight (M w) of the products decreased within the first minute of residence time, with the inter-unit ether linkages breaking accordingly. Furthermore, the M w of the product fractions decreased at increasing residence times, while the char yield increased. Short residence times thus appear to be beneficial for mitigating the formation of char. Also, addition of NaOH reduced the yield of char. Although the addition of glycerol caused a decrease in the M w of the products, it seemed to increase the yield of char and therefore might not be a suitable capping agent for kraft lignin depolymerisation.
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6. |
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7. |
- Ahlbom, Anders, 1993, et al.
(author)
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Towards understanding kraft lignin depolymerisation under hydrothermal conditions
- 2021
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In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1437-434X .- 0018-3830. ; 76:1, s. 37-48
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Kraft lignin depolymerisation using hydrothermal liquefaction suffers from the formation of char, resulting in a decreased product yield as well as causing operational problems. While this may be mitigated by the addition of capping agents such as phenol and isopropanol, other reaction parameters, for example reaction time and temperature, are also important for the product yields. In this work, the effect of short reaction times on the hydrothermal liquefaction of kraft lignin in an alkaline water and isopropanol mixture was investigated at 1-12 min and 290 °C. The results show that there were swift initial reactions: the major ether bonds in the lignin were broken within the first minute of reaction, and the molecular weight of all product fractions was halved at the very least. Longer reaction times, however, do not cause as pronounced structural changes as the initial reaction, indicating that a recalcitrant carbon-carbon skeleton remained in the products. Nevertheless, the yields of both char and monomers increased slowly with increasing reaction time. The swift initial depolymerising reactions were therefore followed by slower repolymerisation as well as a slow formation of monomers and dimers, which calls for careful tuning of the reaction time.
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8. |
- Ahlbom, Anders, 1993, et al.
(author)
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Using guaiacol as a capping agent in the hydrothermal depolymerisation of kraft lignin
- 2023
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In: Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. - 2000-0669 .- 0283-2631. ; 38:4, s. 619-631
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The depolymerisation of softwood kraft lignin was investigated, under hydrothermal conditions at 290 °C and 250 bar, with guaiacol in the reactor feed to evaluate its impact on the formation of char and on the molecular weights of the products. The effect of residence time was investigated in the time span 1-12 min. Lignin is depolymerised during the process and guaiacol is both formed and consumed during the reaction, with clearly noticeable changes as early as in the first minute of reaction. Although the addition of guaiacol in the reactor feed causes a reduction in the weight average molecular weight of the products, the yield of char increases. Longer residence times result in repolymerisation of the reaction products as well as a further increase in the yield of monoaromatic components and char.
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9. |
- Ahlbom, Anders, 1993, et al.
(author)
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Using Isopropanol as a Capping Agent in the Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Kraft Lignin in Near-Critical Water
- 2021
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In: Energies. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1073 .- 1996-1073. ; 14:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, Kraft lignin was depolymerised by hydrothermal liquefaction in near-critical water (290-335 degrees C, 250 bar) using Na2CO3 as an alkaline catalyst. Isopropanol was used as a co-solvent with the objective of investigating its capping effect and capability of reducing char formation. The resulting product, which was a mixture of an aqueous liquid, containing water-soluble organic compounds, and char, had a lower sulphur content than the Kraft lignin. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the organic precipitates of the aqueous phase and the char indicated that the major lignin bonds were broken. The high molar masses of the char and the water-soluble organics, nevertheless, indicate extensive repolymerisation of the organic constituents once they have been depolymerised from the lignin. With increasing temperature, the yield of char increased, although its molar mass decreased. The addition of isopropanol increased the yield of the water-soluble organic products and decreased the yield of the char as well as the molar masses of the products, which is indicative of a capping effect.
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10. |
- Antonsson, Stefan, 1979-
(author)
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Strategies for improving kraftliner pulp properties
- 2008
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A large part of the world paper manufacturing consists of production of corrugated board components, kraftliner and fluting, that are used in many different types of corrugated boxes. Because these boxes are stored and transported, they are often subjected to changes in relative humidity. These changes together with mechanical loads will increase the deformation of the boxes compared to the case where the same loads are applied in a static environment. This enlarged creep due to the changes in relative humidity is called mechano-sorptive or accelerated creep. Mechano-sorptive creep forces producers to use high safety factors when designing boxes, and therefore, this is one of the key properties of kraftliner boards. Different strategies to decrease mechano-sorptive creep, and to simultaneously gain more knowledge about the causes for this phenomenon in paper, are the aim of this work. Derivatised and underivatised black liquor lignins, a by-product produced in pulp mills in large quantities, have been used together with biomimetic methods, to modify the properties of kraftliner pulp. Furthermore, the properties of kraftliner pulp have been compared to other pulps in order to evaluate the influence of fibre morphological factors, such as fibre width and shape factor, on the mechano-sorptive creep. In addition the influence of the chemical composition of the kraftliner pulp has been evaluated both by means of treating a kraftliner pulp with chlorite and xylanase and by producing pulps with different chemical composition. By using lignin and biomimetic methods, to create radical coupling reactions, it has been shown that it is possible to increase the wet strength of kraftliner pulp sheets. This method of treating the pulp showed, however, no significant effects on the mechano-sorptive creep. The addition of an apolar suberin-like lignin derivative, which has been shown to be possible to produce from natural resources, did show a positive effect on mechano-sorptive creep properties, but at the expense of stiffness properties in constant climate. Different pulps were compared with a kraftliner pulp and it was observed that the ratio between tensile stiffness and hygroexpansion can be used to estimate the mechano-sorptive creep properties. The hardwood kraft pulps investigated had lower hygroexpansion, probably due to more slender and straighter fibres, and higher tensile stiffness, probably due to lower lignin content. As the lignin content was varied by different methods in kraft pulps, it was observed that increased lignin content gives an increased hygroexpansion and decreased tensile stiffness as well as an increased mechano-sorptive creep. There were also indications of increased mechano-sorptive creep due to higher xylan content.
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