Search

Low consistency (LC) refining of (chemi-)thermomechanical pulp (TMP) provides an energy efficient alternative to high consistency refining for pulp property development. However, the benefit of LC refining is often limited by excessive fibre shortening, lower tear strength and a reduction of bulk caused by the refining process. In this study, microfibres produced by LC refining of TMP and kraft pulp fibres were investigated for their reinforcement potential in high freeness mechanical pulp. Primary pulp at 645 mL Canadian Standard Freeness was LC refined to different energy targets as a baseline for mechanical and optical property development. In contrast, the same primary pulp was reinforced with different microfibre types in ratios that yielded the same specific energies of the baseline LC refined pulp. The study revealed that at equivalent energies, the addition of TMP microfibres to the high freeness primary pulp displayed tensile development identical to the LC refined pulp, with significantly improved tear and bulk. The addition of kraft microfibre to primary pulp produced the highest tensile and tear strength but compromised light scattering. Additionally, all microfibre composites showed improved elongation, as opposed to no notable change in elongation with conventional LC refining. This investigation proposes an alternative, cost-effective approach for developing high bulk, high strength mechanical pulp by limiting the extent of second stage refining and using LC refined microfibres for pulp reinforcement. The high tear–high bulk open construction of the composite paper is likely to benefit boxboard and packaging applications.

This chapter provides an overview of the domain of supply chain planning in the pulp and paper industry. A short description of the industry and its particular characteristics is provided along with a short discussion on what differentiates pulp and paper from other industries. Key papers in the field are also reviewed and discussed. The chapter focus of the key decisions and planning problems in supply chain planning at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. This relates for all the process steps included in the chain, that is, procurement, production, distribution and sales. Industrial cases are describes as examples. In addition, the chapter discusses emerging concepts and important issues in the field, such as the challenge of coordinating sales and operations as well as anticipating and adapting the transformation of the traditional pulp and paper supply chain into an integrated biorefinery supply chain.

In this chapter, we study Finland, Sweden and Norway as examples of countries with small firm populations without intense domestic competition. This has enabled firms to build certain organizational capabilities while neglecting others. The basic story-line in the Nordic paper industry evolution is that a few firms that emerged as industrial populations were (a) built on to exploit abundant raw materials (timber, water, labor); (b) focused to a large extent on exporting their products; and (c) relied on cooperation between competitors to success in competition with the large firms populations of Britain and Germany – the two main markets for Nordic paper industry products.

This chapter discusses the evolution of the South American pulp and paper industry (PPI), emphasising Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. The analysis is mainly based on secondary sources and demonstrates how the industry has evolved from its establishment to its present organization, the development of mechanisms and institutions to support innovation and the political, economic and legal regulations, including environmental regulation and social responsibility. This analysis is justified because of the importance the region has gained in the scenario of PPI worldwide, following a trend of reorganization and expansion of the PPI.

This chapter explores the evolution of the pulp and paper industry in Russia. The evolution is divided into three main periods: the era of the Russian Empire, the Soviet era and the era of transition to the market economy. The evolution described refers to changes in the technology and resources used in the industry, the changes in products and output volumes, as well as the changes in government policies. The road of many transitions of pulp and paper in Russia can be traced from the early 1700s to the development of the Russian paper giants, which are the world players of today. Also, the main challenges of the pulp and paper industry in the first decade of 2000 are analysed. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the evolution of the development of the pulp and paper industry in other transitional countries of Central Eastern Europe. The evolution path of the transition countries seems to have created certain common features in the pulp and paper industry in the transition countries. However, these countries have quite different pre-socialist economic, cultural and political histories. There are a few indicators of a path dependency in the most recent development of the Russian pulp and paper industry. The challenges currently faced by the pulp and paper industry are similar to those of the last century: the Soviet legacy of inefficient institutions, unclear legislation, environmental degradation, lack of investment in efficient technologies and infrastructure. As the industry became largely monopolized by a few major players, the future development will depend crucially on their ability to make investments and also on the growing environmental awareness of forests and the change to a low carbon economy, which would pose more challenges for the pulp and paper industry.

The contemporary history of the paper and board industry in the Netherlands is the narrative of an industry that had to cope with considerable competitive disadvantages. This chapter analyses the evolution of the paper and board industry in the Netherlands and the way businessmen formulated their strategies to increase the profitability of their activities and decrease the uncertainties of competition. How did the industry cope with the challenges of the markets, the increasing international competition and the formal and informal institutional context? After a brief introduction of the pre-industrial era and the slow process of industrialization during the nineteenth century, this chapter will focus on the development of the industry and the corporate strategies that became apparent during the twentieth century.

Namakkal district in Tamilnadu, India is climatically semi-arid with low rainfall of ca.400 mm per year. Agriculture of sorghum and manihot through well irrigation in some localized areas is practiced in this district. In rivurine areas, cultivation of coconut, sugarcane and banana are also made. Effluents through sago industries, paper industries and sugarcane industries are generally polluting the soil and well water drastically in many parts of the district, which results in the soil not so fit for plant growth and well water not good for drinking and agriculture. Oddapalli is an agricultural belt in Namakkal district contains ca. 10,000 ha of farming land and most of it depends on well water for agriculture. Hence to asses the quality of ground water, the present study was attempted in the water samples collected from a well, located at Oddapalli where Seshasayee paper mill and Ponni sugar mill effluents are being discharged without proper treatment. The results of the study revealed that the samples contained significantly higher amount of total solids and dissolved CO2, elements such as Mg, Ca and Fe and the nutrients such as NO3, SO4 and PO4 than that of the standards prescribed by WHO. On the other hand, contents of dissolved O2 was very low in the well water in comparison to that of standard. Further, it has been estimated that the chlorides and total solids are higher in the well water then that of the irrigation standard. The over all study shows that the well water of Oddapalli is not adequately suitable for drinking as well as agriculture. Hence proper treatment of effluent of paper and sugar mills is suggested before discharging so as to fit for all domestic and farming purposes which also keep the soil environment in healthy status at maximum extent.

Paper chemicals and their use, L. Wagberg and L. Winter the use of retention and drainage aids in the wet end, K. Johansson et al the source and control of paper machine deposits, T. Hassler fillers for papermaking, R.A. Gill starch in papermaking, M. Georgeson the improvement in dry strength by synthetic polymers, S.N. Jenkins the practical application of wet-strength resins, F. Linhart the use and mis-use of dyestuffs and fluorescent whitening agents, F. Colling sizing in acid, neutral and alkaline conditions, P. Otway and K. Smith on-line monitoring and control in the wet end, T. Sopenlehto foam control in the mill - a practical review, M.R. Hunt.

The ability to wet-strengthen paper is an important requirement of the paper industry because wet strength agents allow for the manufacture of a variety of paper grades and products. The most significant area of application is in the manufacture of hygiene grades of paper, including hand towels and facial tissues, kitchen towels and serviettes, and other tableware products. Another important area of application is in packaging grades, including liquid packaging board for fruit juice and milk cartons; carrier bags and paper sacks; and corrugated cardboard boxes for transportation of fruit, meat and other items. Speciality grades, such as tea bags and coffee filters, bottle labels and currency paper, and wallpaper and poster paper also use wet strength agents. In fact, any grade of paper that needs to maintain a degree of strength and integrity after becoming wet involves the application of a wet strength agent.

Pulp and paper industry is one among the 11 most polluting industry in India are utilizing natural resources as lignocellulose, inorganic and organic materials, and large volume of water in pulping and bleaching stages of the paper manufacturing. In manufacturing processes, 1 tonne of paper generates about 150 m3 of waste water contains lignin and its degradation products, resin acids, fatty acids and lignosulphonics. In bleaching stages, waste water contains nascent chlorine, chlorinated organic compounds, dioxin, furan, peroxides etc. The coloured compounds and adsorbable organic halogens formed due to environmental factors in waste water exhibit strong mutagenic effects, physiological impairment and they are ­ecoestrogens. In addition they are recognized as an excellent source of food, fuel, feed, chemicals, vitamins and bioactive compounds after biodegradation and bioconversion of biowaste. This potential is being realized as data from research in the areas of the physiology and chemistry of microorganisms which have been used for treatment of effluent by aerobic and anaerobic methods in different types of bioreactors. The major enzymes, xylanases and ligninases, have been used and commercialized successfully for biopulping and biobleaching purposes for production of ecofriendly pulp and paper, recovery of products, and environmental waste management. Their commercial role as value added products has been established after evaluation of detoxification of toxicants. In this review, the pulping and bleaching processes of pulp and paper, formation of organic compounds, use of microorganisms in degradation and bioconversion of biowaste in different types of bioreactors are discussed. The methods for detection of toxic compounds in the effluent and evaluation of detoxification are also described so that value added products ­recovered from effluent can be used commercially.