BIOREFINING AS A POSSIBILITY TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF PULP

AND PAPER INDUSTRY

Valentin I. Popa, prof.emeritus,

member of Romanian Academy for Science and Technology, ILI, IAWS, IASPM

Technical University of Iasi, vipopa@tuiasi.ro

Raw materials for papermaking

Raw materials processing

• C.I. Simionescu, V. Rusan and V. I. Popa Options concerning phytomass valorification

Cellulose Chemistry and Technology , 21 (1), 3-16 (1987)

• The term of biorefining appeared in 1990, analogous to today petroleum refinery and defined by International Energy Agency as sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, chemicals, materials) and bio-energy (biofuels, power and/or heat).

• V. I. Popa, Chapter 1 Biorefining and pulp and paper industry, in Pulp production and processing: from papermaking to high-tech products, Smithers Rapra, V.I.Popa (editor), p.1-28 (2013).

• V. I. Popa, Biorefining and the pulp and paper industry, Lecture presented at The 7th International Symposium for the Pulp, Paper and Corrugated Board Industry, Braila, Romania, September 3-6, 2013, published in Celuloza si Hartie, 61 (1), 3-17 (2014).

• V. I. Popa, Wood bark as valuable raw material for compounds with biological activity, Plenary lecture, The 8th International Symposium Advanced Technologies for the Pulp, Paper and Corrugated Board Industry, September, 15-18, 2015, Braila, Romania, published in Celuloza si Hartie, 64 (4), 5-17 (2015).

• Waste paper and biorefining

• Romanian paper industry is based almost exclusively on recovered paper and its recycling gained a special attention in producing corrugated board and sanitary papers.

• Paper for recycling should also be seen as a source of many valuable components obtained from rejects resulted in this process that can be used for the production of additional high value products alongside with paper

Wastes from paper recycling

• Recovered paper processing generates important quantities of :

• coarse rejects and fine rejects, • deinking sludge, • primary wastewater treatment sludge, • secondary wastewater treatment sludge 50-100 kg of dry solid waste per tonne of packaging

paper production, 170-190 kg per tonne of newsprint production, 450-550 kg per tonne of graphic paper production

500-600 kg per tonne of tissue production

Fractionation1. Reuse of fibres from coarse rejects1. Reuse of fibres from deinking rejects• reuse own “lost” fibres, without

adverse processes effect;• supply fibres or fines to other

neighbouring paper mills;• offer ash-free cellulosic side streams to

other parties (e.g. chemical industry); • reduce the problems with on-site

sludge incineration.

1. Application of the side stream of rejects without further processing

2. Application of the side stream of rejects with further processing

1. Application of the side stream of rejects without further

processing

Application of the side stream of rejects without further processing

• Landfilling of sludge1. land spreading, where sludges are spread on

agricultural land for nourishing and conditioning purposes

2. application as landfill cover, where sludges are used as a barrier cover in landfills, using their favorable permeability characteristics

3. land remediation, where the side stream is contributing to the revegetation of degraded soil (e.g. old surface mines)

4. composting of sludge, which can offer a better product for use in agriculture and horticulture

• Absorbent materials

1. the production of animal bedding

2. absorbent materials for liquids with application in the cleaning of chemical and fuel spills

• Building materials

• production of cement, concrete, bricks, and various types of board materials (e.g. gypsum fibre board, MDF, hardboard etc.)

Softboard

Hybrid MDF

Cement bonded sludge board

• Application of the side stream of rejects with further

processing

Heating, ash, moisture content of solid fuels

Thermal processing

• Incineration• Torrefaction (250-300°C) –”bio-

coal”• Secondary fuels – pellets/fluff• Oil distillation out of plastics (for

rejects plastic containing)

Secondary fuels – pellets/fluff

Gasification• Gasification allows to obtain synthesis

gas, a mixture of CO, CO2, CH4, H2O and N2 which can be used directly as fuel (co-combustion in a steam boiler), or converted to other fuels or chemicals

• Four types of gasifier can be used:

counter-current fixed bed, co-current fixed bed, fluid bed and entrained flow

Syngas uses

Biological processing• Hydolysis and fermentation

Nanocellulose• Nanocrystalline cellulose (nanocrystals or

nanowhiskers) is produced by acid hydrolysis of cellulose fibres, usually with sulfuric acid

• V.I.Popa, Nanotechnology and nanocellulose, Celuloză şi Hârtie, 63 (4), 14-23 (2014).

• V.I.Popa, Obtaining of nanocellulose (I), Celuloză şi Hârtie, 64 (1), 3-10 (2015).

• V.I.Popa, Obtaining of nanocellulose (II), Celuloză şi Hârtie, 64 (2), 11-29 (2015).

Anaerobic digestion

• Critical elements: influent distribution system, the gas-solid separator and effluent withdrawal design. The gas is collected on a gas collection dome. An upflow velocity of 0.7-1 m/h must be maintained to keep the sludge blanket in suspension.

PHAs production• The term PHAs

(polyhydroxyalkanoates) refers to a family of polyesters that serve as carbon and energy storage units with certain microorganisms and which also have considerable potential as a bioplastic material.

Alginates production• A new aerobic waste water treatment was

developed substituting activated sludge with anaerobic granular sludge. This procedure facilitates producing alginate-like exopolysaccharide as by –product. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is used.

• A granular sludge-matrix populated by different microoganisms is used

CONCLUSIONSThere exist a significant potential for the valorization of the

large amounts of side stream generated during the paper and board production process.

These can be organized in four categories:1. application in its current form without further processing2. application by conversion into a material products3. application by conversion into energy4. application by conversion into an energy carrier Application of any option is determined by the local

conditions: composition of the side streams, regional/national subsidy schemes, distance from the partners etc.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

FOR

YOUR ATTENTION !

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