Fehlgerüche in der Papier- und Kartonindustrie

Apart form the well-known odour emission from the kraft pulp industry, new malodours have recently been experienced in paper mills, too. Emissions of this kind affect not only the oparators and the immediate environment, but also the users of the tissue, paperboard and paper products concerned. The sense of smell is frequently a decisive factor in successful sales activities. More often than not, people unconsciously decide to buy a special product. After outlining the mechanisms causing odour problems, the paper roughly classifies these mechanisms according to physicochemical and microbiological conversion processes of substances. According to the state of the art in this field, the problem areas have merely shifted: today, highly closed whitewater circuits or the use of no-chlorine pulps often lead to customer complaints about poor product quality in terms of off-flavours. An example is given to illustrate how cost savings may be realized by process and final measurements in spite of reasonable safety margins. Fundamental analytics in terms of head space gas chromatography as is being applied in flavour research are a useful tool in the prevention of customer complaints. Modern tissue, paperboard and paper manufacturers may keep certain malodours away from our noses by insuring hygienic conditions in their mills, selecting the right raw materials and additives and launching suitable control strategies whenever required.