Enzymatic treatment of deinking sludge - effect on fibre and drainage properties.

This work focused on the enzymatic treatment of deinking sludge (DS), a waste stream arising from German deinked pulp mills. Three industrial DS samples were characterised with respect to chemical composition and fibre morphology. In this study, four cellulase enzyme preparations were tested under neutral pH conditions and one cellulase was identified as suitable for DS conditioning with no need of pH adjustment. Additionally, our approach shows that inorganic particles contained in the DS samples do not negatively affect cellulase activity, as illustrated by respectable hydrolysis yields of up to 61%. Enzymatic treatment of DS led to fibre shortening and fibre fines generation with increasing enzyme dose and incubation time. The dewaterability of enzyme-treated DS samples was tested and the results showed that high amounts of fibre fines enhanced filter cake consolidation during dewatering, resulting in higher cake solids. A 10-14 percentage point increase in cake solids was obtained depending upon the enzyme dose applied, the origin of the DS sample, and the exposure period. Through the enzymatic treatment the annually generated amount of DS in Germany could be reduced by up to 20%, which would mean considerable disposal cost savings.

Anaerobic digestion of fines from recovered paper processing - Influence of fiber source, lignin and ash content on biogas potential.

Fines concentration harms paper machine runability and output quality in recovered paper processing, hence, their extraction would be fundamentally beneficial. In this study, separated fines from an industrial recycled fiber pulp (RFP) were characterized and evaluated for their potential biogas yields with a focus on understanding the role of varying lignin and ash contents. Further, these results were compared with biogas yields from conventional chemical and mechanical pulps. Overall, methane yields of fines from mechanical pulps (21-28mL/gVS) and RFP (127mL/gVS) are relatively low compared to the high methane yields of 375mL/gVS from the chemical pulp fines. However, it was shown that the high ash content in RFP fines (up to 50%) did not negatively influence overall yield, rather, it was the presence of slowly biodegrading lignin-rich fiber fines.

Characterization of condensed tannins and carbohydrates in hot water bark extracts of European softwood species.

Condensed tannins extracted from European softwood bark are recognized as alternatives to synthetic phenolics. The extraction is generally performed in hot water, leading to simultaneous extraction of other bark constituents such as carbohydrates, phenolic monomers and salts. Characterization of the extract's composition and identification of the extracted tannins' molecular structure are needed to better identify potential applications. Bark from Silver fir (Abies alba [Mill.]), European larch (Larix decidua [Mill.]), Norway spruce (Picea abies [Karst.]), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.]) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris [L.]) were extracted in water at 60°C. The amounts of phenolic monomers, condensed tannins, carbohydrates, and inorganic compounds in the extract were determined. The molecular structures of condensed tannins and carbohydrates were also investigated (HPLC-UV combined with thiolysis, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, anion exchange chromatography). Distinct extract compositions and tannin structures were found in each of the analysed species. Procyanidins were the most ubiquitous tannins. The presence of phenolic glucosides in the tannin oligomers was suggested. Polysaccharides such as arabinans, arabinogalactans and glucans represented an important fraction of all extracts. Compared to traditionally used species (Mimosa and Quebracho) higher viscosities as well as faster chemical reactivities are expected in the analysed species. The most promising species for a bark tannin extraction was found to be larch, while the least encouraging results were detected in pine. A better knowledge of the interaction between the various extracted compounds is deemed an important matter for investigation in the context of industrial applications of such extracts.

Effects of cationic xylan from annual plants on the mechanical properties of paper.

Xylan from oat spelt and wheat was used as an additive to enhance the dry strength of paper. The absorption of xylan by the cellulose fibers was increased by cationization to different degrees of substitution. Paper hand sheets with different doses of xylan and industrial cationic starch were produced, and the mechanical properties were determined. Absorption measurements of cationic oat spelt xylan on pulp fibers explained the differing influences of low and high cationized xylan addition on paper strength. The addition of cationic oat spelt xylan with a degree of substitution of 0.1 at a 4% dose provided the largest improvement in the tensile-index (67%), burst-index (105%) and tear-index (77%). Compared to cationic starch, cationic oat spelt xylan additives led to similar paper strength values, excepting the tear strength. The structural differences and protein impurities made the wheat xylan unsuitable as a strength additive for paper pulp.

Steam pretreatment of spruce forest residues: optimal conditions for biogas production and enzymatic hydrolysis.

Steam refining of non-debarked spruce forest residues was investigated as pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis as well as for biogas production. Pretreatment conditions were varied in the range of 190-220 °C, 5-10 min and 0-3.7% SO2 according to a statistical design. For both applications highest product yields were predicted at 220 °C and 2.4% SO2, whereas the reaction time had only a minor influence. The conformity of the model results allows the conclusion that enzymatic hydrolysis is a suitable test method to evaluate the degradability of lignocellulosic biomass in the biogas process. In control experiments under optimal conditions the results of the model were verified. The yield of total monomeric carbohydrates after enzymatic hydrolysis was equivalent to 55% of all theoretically available polysaccharides. The corresponding biogas yield from the pretreated wood amounted to 304 mL/gODM. Furthermore, furans produced under optimal process conditions showed no inhibitory effect on biogas production. It can be concluded that steam refining opens the structure of wood, thus improving the enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharides to fermentable monomeric sugars and subsequently enabling a higher and faster production of biogas. Anaerobic fermentation of pretreated wood is a serious alternative to alcoholic fermentation especially when low quality wood grades and residues are used. Anaerobic digestion should be further investigated in order to diversify the biorefinery options for lignocellulosic materials.