AQUEOUS BASED SULFUR FREE PULPING

THE PROPOSAL RESPONDS TO PUBLIC AND US EPA PRESSURE ON THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY TO REDUCE POLLUTING EMISSIONS. PULP FROM THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, CONTAINER BOARD, TISSUE AND BAGS IS PRIMARILY PRODUCED BY THE KRAFT PROCESS. THIS PROCESS REDUCES WOOD CHIPS TO PULP USING SODIUM SULFIDE AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE. AS A RESULT, LARGE QUANTITIES OF NOXIOUS SULFUR CONTAINING GASES MAY BE EMITTED FROM THESE PLANTS. FURTHERMORE, THE PULP PRODUCED IS VERY DARK (ALMOST BLACK) AND IS BLEACHED WITH AGRESSIVE CHLORING BLEACHING AGENTS TO BRIGHTEN IT. AS A RESULT, TOXIC CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS MAY BE FORMED AND, IF DISCHARGED, WOULD CONTAMINATE THE OUTFALLS AND RIVERS. WHAT IS NEEDED IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE PROCESS WHICH WILL DELIGNIFY WOOD CHIPS AND PRODUCE A PULP WITH THE SAME DESIRABLE QUALITIES OF KRAFT PULP. THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL INVESTIGATE A PROCESS USING NON-TOXIC CHEMICALS TO PRODUCE A HIGH GRADE PULP WITHOUT SULFIDE, NOXIOUS OR HAZARDOUS EMISSIONS. THE PROCESS SHOULD PRODUCE A PULP BRIGHT ENOUGH THAT LITTLE OR NO SUBSEQUENT BLEACHING WILL BE REQUIRED. THE COST BENEFIT FROM THIS PROCESS SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANT AS IT ELIMINATES THE NECESSITY FOR A LOT OF THE POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT CURRENTLY ON PULP AND PAPER PLANTS AND SHOULD REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR CHLORINE BLEACHING.