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The subject of this study is the optimization of the paper production process in one of Poland's leading paper mills. In addition to its primary objective of paper production, the company generates heat and electricity for internal consumption and external clients, including the local municipality. Surplus energy may be sold on the power exchange; however, this requires forecasting the quantity of energy to be sold 24 h in advance, which introduces an element of uncertainty. Production stoppages, often caused by random events such as paper breakage, force a power decrease in the CHP system, further complicating energy forecasting. To minimize the occurrence of such events, numerical taxonomy methods were employed to determine the optimal screen speed (Vs) and winding speed (Vn) for two paper machines, based on the type and weight of the paper produced. This analysis utilized detailed daily data collected by the company over the period 2015–2020. The findings contribute to minimizing the occurrence of paper roll tearing, thereby reducing the risk of inaccurate forecasts of the energy and heat produced by the CHP system. Furthermore, the methodology employed in this study may be effectively applied to other optimization problems in industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Pines play a significant role in forest biodiversity globally and generate huge forest litter. Dry pine needles due to low ignition temperature and high frictional force with the ground catch fire quickly. Annual forest fires in the northern states of India greatly impact the Indian economy besides causing huge loss to biodiversity, livelihood, and environment. Pine needles are also considered unfit for fodder consumption due to presence of tannins. Although the presence of softwood lignin in pine needles makes it difficult to degrade easily, the presence of holocellulose (68.5%) containing 45–51% cellulose makes this biomass a potential substrate to be used in pulp-making industries for low-grade paper sheets. The good fiber length of pine needles (1.3–1.4 mm) with a diameter of 30–32 μm, maybe considered important property for paper making. The use of pine needles in the pharmaceutical and food industries are due to the presence of secondary metabolites (α-pinene, β-pinene, caryophyllene etc.). The various other potential applications of pine needles are for producing bio-ethanol (yield, 3.98%; purity, 94%), biogas (yield, 23.1 L kg−1), smokeless briquettes (calorific value, 18.77 MJ kg−1), biochar (calorific value, 25.6 MJ kg−1), bio-composites (tensile strength, 21–60 MPa), and bio-pesticides. This paper comprehensively reviews the current applications of pine needles along with its future prospective applications that can have the dual advantage of providing employment opportunities to the people along with environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood and non-wood cellulose are commonly used as raw materials for paper production. This study aims to produce paper from bacterial cellulose (BC). Due to its high-water binding property, BC was rod-coated with the mixture of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The used of PEO was varied from 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 g (w/v) whereas the use of PVA was 0.5 g (w/v). The BC paper was characterized using SEM, FTIR, and tensometer whereas the paper quality was tested by the Indonesia National Standard (SNI). The result showed the coating treatment improved the mechanical, thermal, water barrier, and quality of the paper. The optimum composition was found in the BCpAO2 sample, where the composition of PEO in the coating solution is 1.0 g. This is due to the further addition of PEO to the coating solution, makes the coating film bind more water.

Abstract Background Pulp refining is an energy consuming, but integral part of paper production with the aim to increase tensile strength and smoothness of paper sheets. Commercial enzyme formulations are used to lower the energy requirements by pre-treatment of pulp before refining. However, a high number of different commercial enzyme products are available on the market containing enzymes of varying origin and composition, which complicates the prediction of their behavior, especially using different pulp types. Results Endoglucanase-rich enzyme formulations were characterized regarding enzyme activity at different temperatures, resulting in a significant decrease of activity above 70 °C. Some enzyme preparations additionally contained arabinosidase, xylanase and β-glucosidase activity consequently resulting in a release of xylose and glucose from pulp as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Interestingly, one enzyme formulation even showed lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) activity of 3.05 nkat mg−1. A correlation between enzyme activity using the endoglucanase specific derivatized cellopentaose (CellG5) substrate and enzyme performance in laboratory PFI (Papirindustriens forskningsinstitut) refining trials was observed on softwood pulp resulting in a maximum increase in the degree of refining values from 27.7°SR to 32.7°SR. When added to a purified endoglucanase enzyme (31.6°SR), synergistic effects were found for cellobiohydrolase II (34.7°SR) or β-glucosidase enzymes (35.7°SR) in laboratory refining. Comparison with previously obtained laboratory refining results on hardwood pulp allowed differences in enzyme performance based on varying pulp types to be elucidated. Conclusions Interestingly, the individual enzymes indeed showed different refining effects on softwood and hardwood pulp. This difference could be predicted after development of an adapted enzyme activity assay by combination of the derivatized cellopentaose CellG5 substrate with either softwood or hardwood sulfate pulp.

Paper is one of the most important materials for packaging and the demand for this material is constantly increasing. The printing and packaging industries are researching alternative sources of fibre, to produce more environmentally friendly paper without compromising quality. As a packaging material, paper must meet high strength requirements, and it has to exhibit acceptable surface properties to preserve the printing quality. This research had two objectives: to produce paper made from pulp of recycled fibre reinforced with virgin straw fibre and to evaluate the print quality on such papers. Straw pulp used for this purpose was obtained from three cereal crops: wheat, barley, and triticale. The paper produced was printed by using five printing techniques. Rubbing stability was evaluated by the difference in colour and reflectance spectra before and after performing rub tests and a comparison was made for the best interaction of paper and ink determined by the printing technique. For the prints with the highest colour difference after the rub test, the surface of the rub test receptor (uncoated recycled paper) was examined for signs of ink transfer during the test and the areas of transferred ink coverage were calculated on their processed microscopic images.

Background: Pulp refining is an energy consuming, but integral part of paper production with the aim to increase tensile strength and smoothness of paper sheets. Commercial enzyme formulations are used to lower the energy requirements by pre-treatment of pulp before refining. However, a high number of different commercial enzyme products are available on the market containing enzymes of varying origin and composition, which complicates the prediction of their behavior, especially using different pulp types. Results: Endoglucanase-rich enzyme formulations were characterized regarding enzyme activity at different temperatures, resulting in a significant decrease of activity above 70 °C. Some enzyme preparations additionally contained arabinosidase, xylanase and β-glucosidase activity consequently resulting in a release of xylose and glucose from pulp as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Interestingly, one enzyme formulation even showed lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) activity of 3.05 nkat mg−1. A correlation between enzyme activity using the endoglucanase specific derivatized cellopentaose (CellG5) substrate and enzyme performance in laboratory PFI (Papirindustriens forskningsinstitut) refining trials was observed on softwood pulp resulting in a maximum increase in the degree of refining values from 27.7°SR to 32.7°SR. When added to a purified endoglucanase enzyme (31.6°SR), synergistic effects were found for cellobiohydrolase II (34.7°SR) or β-glucosidase enzymes (35.7°SR) in laboratory refining. Comparison with previously obtained laboratory refining results on hardwood pulp allowed differences in enzyme performance based on varying pulp types to be elucidated. Conclusions: Interestingly, the individual enzymes indeed showed different refining effects on softwood and hardwood pulp. This difference could be predicted after development of an adapted enzyme activity assay by combination of the derivatized cellopentaose CellG5 substrate with either softwood or hardwood sulfate pulp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refining of cellulose fibers is essential for reaching desired paper properties, yet highly energy demanding. Enzymes like endoglucanases (e.g. EndoC) are increasingly used to reduce energy consumption during pulp refining. However, prediction of the enzyme effect is still a major concern, considering the high variety of commercially available enzyme formulations, containing a range of different enzymes. In this study, synergisms of xylanases and β-glucosidases in combination with endoglucanases purified from enzyme formulations were studied and related to their refining performance. Size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) of carboxymethylcellulose revealed that a narrow size distribution and a high reduction in molecular weight are beneficial characteristics for refining. SEC-MALLS of hardwood pulp resulted in pronounced formation of low molecular weight fractions (log MW 4.3) for most efficient refining enzymes. Application of enzyme formulations and combinations of endoglucanase EndoC with β-glucosidase or xylanase using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed synergistic effects that promoted degradation of amorphous parts of cellulose. Laboratory refining trials on hardwood pulp confirmed the increase in degree of refining and tensile index after addition of xylanase and β-glucosidase. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis resulted in strong binding of endoglucanases to regenerated cellulose, which correlated to refining performance.

Invasive plant species can impede the establishment and growth of native plants and affect several ecosystem properties. These properties include soil cover, nutrient cycling, fire regimes, and hydrology. Controlling invasive plants is therefore a necessary, but usually expensive, step in restoring an ecosystem. The sustainability of materials with an emphasis on the use of local resources plays an important role in the circular economy. The use of alternative fibers from invasive plants promotes local production in smaller paper mills that offer the protection of local species and the reduction of waste and invasive plants. A synthesis of the literature is needed to understand the various impacts of invasive plants and their practical control in the context of papermaking applications and to identify associated knowledge gaps. To improve our understanding of the practical application of invasive species in the paper industry, we reviewed the existing literature on invasive plant species in the area of fiber production, printability, coating solution production, dyes, and extracts, and collected information on the major invasive plant species in Europe and the methods used for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper was already being used in southwestern Germany before the first paper mills began production there in the late 14th century. But it was the establishment of a local paper industry that made the still relatively new writing material available in large quantities. The demand for paper made the operation of a paper mill seem profitable, and the increased supply of paper in turn fueled the rise in writing. At the end of the Middle Ages, paper thus became the material basis of a media evolution that extended far into modern times. But how was the new writing material produced? The new craft of papermaking differed significantly from the production of parchment, the traditional writing material, in terms of equipment, raw materials, capital requirements, and working methods. Nevertheless, papermaking could use already existing infrastructures, especially in the field of energy supply by waterwheels. This article examines the specific characteristics of the new craft using the example of the German southwest, where numerous paper mills were established in the 15th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice straw and millet husk are produced globally in huge quantities as a by-product. Agricultural by-products can be used for a variety of applications, and processing agricultural solid wastes have several advantages, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This investigation determines the suitability of using rice straw and millet husk as raw materials in the production of paper, resulting in the reduction of virgin woods usage as the primary pulping material. Millet husk and rice straw have adequate cellulose levels and low lignin contents, making them ideal as an alternative low-cost raw material for papermaking. The initial process of softening the raw materials for pulp production was carried out with 12-15% of diluted sodium hydroxide solution. For comparative evaluation, different compositions of raw materials (100% rice straw, 100% millet husk, 50% millet husk:50% rice straw, 80% rice straw:20% millet husk) were used. The produced sheets were subjected to various analyses such as GSM, Thickness, Bulk density, Moisture content, Ash content, pH, Absorbency, and Biodegradability. The paper made of 100% millet husk had the highest GSM value, while the paper made of 100% rice straw had the highest bulk density. The moisture and the ash content of the paper made of 50% millet husk: 50% rice straw presented with the lowest values of 7.46 % and 6.45 % respectively. Based on preliminary investigation, the results indicate the eligibility of rice straw and millet husk as raw materials for paper production; a better way to recycle agricultural wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work deals with the paper mills in Walachia, during the 18th century, and the production of paper. Walachian rulers were interested in the production of paper necessary for their chancellery. The author has in view the mills of Fundeni, the one belonging to the Lazari brothers and the one at Ciorogârla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are becoming more stringently regulated and as such, a more diverse suite of environmental monitoring methods is needed. In this work a polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) with a nylon membrane and a combination of Oasis WAX and Fluoroflash® sorbents was calibrated in the laboratory and deployed in the field. A static renewal system was used to determine sampling rates for 12 PFAS which ranged between 0.69 ± 0.27 to 5.68 ± 1.80 L/day. POCIS devices were deployed for 10 days in lake Tyrifjorden, Norway which is known to be contaminated by a closed down factory producing paper products, in order to track the evolution of the PFAS contamination in a river system draining into the lake. Th sampling campaign enabled the stretch of the river which was responsible for the emissions of PFAS to lake Tyrifjorden to be identified. Freely dissolved concentrations determined with the POCIS were lowest at the site considered to reflect a diffuse PFAS contamination and highest at the site located downstream the factory. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetic acid (EtFOSAA) dominated the concentration profile at this site. Emissions of PFAS to lake Tyrifjorden were estimated to be 3.96 g/day for the sum of the 12 investigated PFAS.

Generally, Dietrich Brandis is remembered as the first Inspector General of Forests in British India. However, before he left Europe, he had a university education as a biologist and botanist as well as geographer. After various affiliations with the University of Bonn he became Forest Inspector of Burma through his wife's connections with the British Indian imperial administration. Despite his groundbreaking work as a forester, Brandis however never stopped working as a botanist. The Herbarium Brandis, since his death kept at the University of Hamburg as part of the botanical collections, comprises more than 19,000 sheets. It is one of the most comprehensive collections on South Asian flora. This article tries to highlight Brandis' role as a botanist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy efficiency of the drying section of paper machine is determined by the technology of heat flows arrangements in it. Paper drying is the most energy-consuming stage of paper production. The thermal mode of the drying section is provided by the steam condensate system which is a part of it. Analysis of exergy increments shows that almost all elements of the drying thermal process are characterized by low exergy efficiency. The main ways for increasing the degree of thermodynamic perfection of the processes occurring in the drying section of the paper machine are identified based on the exergy analysis. It is assumed that the deep internal heat recovery of the steam-air mixture for heating the source air will increase the exergy efficiency of the heat recovery plant and reduce heat removal to the environment. The effectiveness of development and implementation of a closed cycle use of steam-air mixture in the drying section was examined. Building a closed cycle provides that the air mainly has a process duty, that is, it is a transport agent for the transfer of moisture and heat along a closed circuit. The calculations show that the exergy efficiency of the processes in the recovery unit of the drying section of the paper machine of the existing production is 28.6% against 66.29% for the proposed method.

Invasive plant species can impede the establishment and growth of native plants and affect several ecosystem properties. These properties include soil cover, nutrient cycling, fire regimes, and hydrology. Controlling invasive plants is therefore a necessary, but usually expensive, step in restoring an ecosystem. The sustainability of materials with an emphasis on the use of local resources plays an important role in the circular economy. The use of alternative fibers from invasive plants promotes local production in smaller paper mills that offer the protection of local species and the reduction of waste and invasive plants. A synthesis of the literature is needed to understand the various impacts of invasive plants and their practical control in the context of papermaking applications and to identify associated knowledge gaps. To improve our understanding of the practical application of invasive species in the paper industry, we reviewed the existing literature on invasive plant species in the area of fiber production, printability, coating solution production, dyes, and extracts, and collected information on the major invasive plant species in Europe and the methods used for various applications.

Bacterial Cellulose (BC) production from Fermented Rice Noodle Wastewater (FRNW) was fermented by Komagataeibacter sp. PAP1. In order to increase the production of BC, the FRNW-based medium was prepared and optimized for the cultivation of this bacterium. The optimized FRNW-based medium was composed of 5 % (w/v) mannitol, 0.1 % (w/v) beef extract, 0.5 % (v/v) ethanol, 1 % (v/v) acetic acid, pH 7.0 which were incubated at 30 °C for 10 days. Under these conditions, BC yielded 11.76 ± 0.34 g/L higher (4.40 fold) than the standard Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium. The study on growth and BC production by Komagataeibacter sp. PAP1 in optimized culture condition showed that BC production by Komagataeibacter sp. PAP1 was growth-associated. The bacterial cell of Komagataeibacter sp. PAP1 increased exponentially from the 3rd to 5th day. The BC paper sheets produced using the obtained BC pellicle from an optimized FRNW-based medium gave higher mechanical strength than those from standard HS medium. This study reveals the use of FRNW as a substrate for BC production. The results indicated that FRNW, which is more environmentally friendly, can be used as an alternative low-cost substrate for BC production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the increasing competition is forcing companies to make more consistent and accurate decisions about supplier selection. When the paper production sector is discussed, cellulose which is the main raw material for paper production is obtained from various suppliers. In addition, the supplier selection decision has a complex structure that includes many qualitative and quantitative criteria and a large number of decision makers. By the way, there are feedback and mutual interactions within the problem. For these reasons, Analytical Network Process method has been preferred as a solution method in this study. Using the relevant method, four different alternative suppliers have been evaluated in terms of the four most commonly used criteria (quality, price, delivery and service) in the literature and the sub-criteria of these criteria and the best alternative has been chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo has being used as alternative raw material for construction, reinforcing fibers, paper production, among other applications. Although its recognized potentials as raw material, there are doubts about its environmental performance compared to traditional wood-based products, including paper production, which hinders bamboo-based paper plants in large scales. This study aims to assess the environmental performance of producing office paper from bamboo. Emergy synthesis (with 'm') and global warming potential indicators are calculated and compared with the traditional eucalyptus paper-based production. Results highlights the importance in including the renewability fractions of each input resources into emergy calculations for production systems with high human-labor intensity such as the bamboo agricultural production. Office paper produced from bamboo has similar renewability (28%), moderate environmental load (3.23 vs. 2.49), and emergy unsustainability (0.34 vs. 0.60) compared to paper produced from eucalyptus, but bamboo showed lower performance for global efficiency (568 vs. 442 sej/ton paper), emergy yield (1.09 vs. 1.49), and emergy investment (10.79 vs. 2.05). Focusing on global warming potential, office paper produced from bamboo releases 98 kgCO 2 eq. /ton paper compared to 56–267 kgCO 2 eq. /ton paper for eucalyptus. Notwithstanding, bamboo-based office paper demands four times more land area of agricultural production than eucalyptus, but it has a positive social aspect by requiring higher amount of direct human labor. This work shows the advantages of using eucalyptus rather than bamboo in producing office paper from an emergy and land demand perspectives, while global warming can still be considered inconclusive. Future efforts should consider a quantitative and qualitative analysis of human labor availability in both systems, as well an economic analysis to support discussions towards more sustainable office paper production from different raw materials. • Environmental load of bamboo and eucalyptus for office paper production are compared. • Bamboo has lower emergy performance than eucalyptus. • Including the renewability fraction of labor and services better reflects emergy results. • Bamboo paper emits 98kgCO2eq/ton, eucalyptus paper emits 56–267kgCO2eq/ton. • Bamboo paper needs 4x land compared to eucalyptus and requires more human labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A natural polymeric material, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), that can replace structural additives made of synthetic polymers was studied and characterized. The use of CNFs as a structural additive and the effect of adding them on the basic mechanical parameters of laboratory samples of packaging materials (corrugated sheet, i.e., the intermediate layer of corrugated cardboard) were studied. Addition of a structural additive made of natural renewable raw material to the recycled paper composite for corrugation was shown to increase the key paper quality indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper pulp was produced by the kraft method using sorghum (Sorghum bicolor × S. bicolor sudanense) as the fibrous raw material. Two groups were cooked using active alkali at 10% and 14%. For each group, five sulfite ratios (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16%) were used, making a total of 10 different groups that were cooked. A literature study was conducted to determine the cooking temperature, the time needed to reach the maximum temperature, and the duration of cooking time at the maximum temperature. A total of 30 batches of paper were obtained from pulps without beating and from pulps beaten at values of 35 ± 2 °SR and 50 ± 2 °SR (Schopper Riegler) freeness. The aim was to determine the most suitable alkali and sulfite ratios by conducting standard tests for the yield, kappa number, and viscosity of the screened pulps and for the papers obtained from these pulps. The highest screened yield of cooked pulp was obtained under conditions of 14% active alkali and 12% sulfite. Since the mechanical properties of the paper obtained from this pulp were satisfactory when compared with those in the literature, it was concluded that these ratios could be recommended as a condition for cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In remote areas, such as India, Africa and Southeast Asia, typically not connected to the natural gas distribution network, tissue paper production is currently carried out using a Yankee cylinder and two hot air hoods heated with saturated steam produced in conventional boilers. In this way the drying air is heated at medium temperature, around 160-180 °C, with consequent low levels of dried paper production. In this context, the present study intends to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of using a wood biomass fixed bed downdraft gasification plant for the production of syngas to be used as fuel in gas hoods, in order to reach high drying temperatures (around 500 °C), comparable with those of the current modern hoods powered with natural gas. Using previously developed calculation codes, an evaluation of energy performance of the paper drying system and of the gasification plant has been performed. The present study also evaluates the possibility of applying a CHP plant, powered by biomass, for the production of steam and electric, this last obtained adopting a steam turbine, thus covering all the electrical and thermal needs of the paper mill. Results show that, for a paper mill with a production of about 80 t/day of paper, two gasification reactors with a thermal output of about 1.95 MWt, and a consumption of dry biomass of 0.86 t/h, are required. For the steam system, the net electric power needed to meet the needs of the paper mill is about 3100 kW with a consumption of 4.72 t/h of moist biomass and a net efficiency of 23.9 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper can be reused to efficiently manage biomass consumption, meaning that it has potential as an environmentally friendly material. On the other hand, because of high energy usage during the recycling process and transportation inefficiencies, there is a call for the development of technologies that can mitigate this environmental burden. This study evaluated, from a lifecycle perspective, a new technology that can collect and recycle paper within the office. This technology can reduce by over 90% the amount of water used compared with the conventional recycled paper that is pulped and bleached once by the dry process. It also eliminates transportation from paper collection facilities to recycling factories, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This new technology is already in use in Japan, and analyses by user data indicate that evaluation results differ greatly depending on the utilization rate of the machine. In the future, environmental information should be shared by both users and manufacturers, so that users could increase their utilization rate, and manufacturers could develop alternative bonding agents in order to further reduce the total environmental burden.