Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Vol.76, No.11, 1117-1123, 2001
Totally chlorine-free bleaching of Acetosolv pulps: a clean approach to dissolving pulp manufacture
Eucalyptus globulus wood samples were delignified in media containing concentrated acetic acid, water and hydrochloric acid (Acetosolv process) under optimized conditions, and the pulps were subjected to totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching. Alkaline extractions, oxygen delignification, ozone treatment, enzymatic xylan removal and hydrogen peroxide oxidation in alkaline media were investigated as individual steps in selected bleaching sequences. Under the best conditions, fully bleached pulps with favourable characteristics for dissolving pulp manufacture were obtained.