Progress 08/24/07 to 08/23/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project is complete. PARTICIPANTS: This project is complete. TARGET AUDIENCES: This project is complete. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: This project is complete.
Impacts
This project is complete.
Publications
- Zhu , J.Y.; 2012. Handbook of Bioenergy Crop Plants, CRC Press, 2012, Chapter 15, pp. 351-403.
- Zhu, J.Y. 2011. Forest biorefinery: the next century of innovation. Tappi Journal. 10(5): 5.
|
Progress 08/24/07 to 08/23/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research on pulping and wood fibers has not been a priority for the unit this fiscal year and there are no publications or patents. There is modest research activity remaining in this research area. To reflect the lower commitment, it is being merged with RWU Problem area 4 on paper recycle and deinking in the new five-year Research Work Unit Description. Termination: The existing work plan has reached the end of the five-year planning window. This project is being merged with another problem area on wastepaper recycle and deinking in the new Research Work Unit Description. Major activities and accomplishments during the five years include: Value prior to pulping as indicated in problem area one on biorefinery Safety hazards of bleaching with hydrogen peroxide: Explosion of a hydrogen peroxide bleach stage led to a kinetic analysis of the explosive scenario and identified critical components that were necessary for the explosion. Multi-stage modeling of a bleach plant: Historically, bleach plants started with a chlorine stage that was much lower cost to operate than later stages. The implementation of the cluster rules required this stage to be switched to using chlorine dioxide instead of chlorine, and cost-optimization of the bleach plant required splitting chlorine dioxide use over three bleach stages. This required detailed models of stage performance. One of the first of these models was carried out by RWU staff working with faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Fiber settling: In order to understand paper as a hierarchal structure, it is necessary to understand how paper fibers settle onto the growing paper surface during the forming process. This was accomplished by determining the way wires of various shape drift and rotate while settling through a water column. Development of Raman spectroscopy for studying lignocellulosics: The major advance in this area is the use of Plasmon-enhanced Raman to study lignin in-situ. Historically, the fluorescence of lignin, and the signal from carbohydrates made analysis of lignin impossible without isolation. Use of the surface plasmon method, enhances the lignin signals and allows it to be evaluated in situ. Development of a method to determine cellulose crystallinity using near-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopy. Development of an optical scanner to determine growth ring dimensions from tree cores and with sufficient resolution to evaluate suppressed growth trees.
Impacts
The pulp and paper industry is the primary user in the US for smaller diameter wood, providing a healthy and valued market for trees removed in forest thinning and for the small diameter trees removed in logging operations.
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research on pulping and wood fibers has concentrated on improving Raman methods for lignin analysis, a pretreatment method to save electrical energy in producing thermomechanical pulp (TMP), and characterizing the impact of polyoxometalates as oxidants of lignin.
Impacts
Wood pulp for paper products is a valuable use of low quality wood removed from forests in fire risk management efforts. Energy reduction in producing TMP is of great interest since this is a major cost factor in newsprint production.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Atalla, Rajai. 2010. Vibrational spectroscopy. In: Heitner, Cyril; Dimmel, Donald R.; Schmidt, John A. eds. Lignin and lignans advances in chemistry. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Chapter 4: 103-136: ISBN: 9781574444865 (hbk : alk. paper): 1574444867 (hbk : alk. paper).
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Reiner, Richard S. 2009. Near-IR surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of lignin. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy. 40: 1527-1534.
- Anderson, Ross; Reid, Doug; Hart, Peter; Rudie, Alan. 2010. Hydrogen peroxide (H202) safe storage and handling. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry: TIP 0606-24, 8 p.
- Bujanovic, Biljana; Ralph, Sally; Reiner, Richard; Hirth, Kolby; Atalla, Rajai. 2010. Polyoxometalates in oxidative delignification of chemical pulps: effect on lignin. Materials. 3: 1888-1903.
- Hart, Peter W.; Rudie, Alan W. 2010. A comparative evaluation of explosion hazards in chemical and mechanical pulp bleaching systems. Pulp and Paper Canada 111(4): T60-T63.
- Houtman, C; Bilek, T.; Ince, P.; Horn, E. 2010. Feasibility of hemicellulose extraction from wood before making thermomechanical pulp [abstract]. In: Proceedings of first symposium on biotechnology applied to lignocelluloses (lignobiotech1). 2010 March 28-April 1. Reims, France. Reims, France: French National Institute for Agricultural Research. P. 61.
- Moore, Roderquita K. 2009. The novel methods for characterization and identification of milled wood lignin in trees. Atlanta, GA: Clark Atlanta University. Ph.D. dissertation.
|
Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Recent research on pulping and wood fibers has concentrated on improving methods for chemical analysis. This includes methods of deconstructing the wood fiber wall to get compositional data on component parts, and developments in Raman spectroscopy to enable determination of lignin functional groups in-situ. A project carried out with the Georgia Institute of Technology put together a performance model of a five-stage kraft pulp bleach plant. The goal was to be able to predict the interaction of the bleaching stages and identify optimum bleaching conditions for normal and high brightness targets. A third project is evaluating how fiber shape ⿿ kink and curl ⿿ effect the way fibers orient and settle in fluid and static environments mimicking pipe flow and papermachine drainage sections. Additional paper related projects include prehydrolysis kraft and prehydrolysis thermomechanical pulps using the sugars removed to produce ethanol as reported in problem area 1.
Impacts
Wood pulp for paper products is a valuable use of low quality wood removed from forests in fire risk management efforts. Research that improves the paper industry⿿s ability to use underutilized wood resources, reduce operating costs, and produce paper with lower environmental impact all increase the viability of this valuable industry. The bleach plant model is general enough for mills to use it to evaluate the chemical applications in their mill bleach plants. Improved chemical use can reduce the chlorine dioxide needed by 10% or more which not only reduces mill costs, but reduces the electrical energy needed to produce the chlorine dioxide.
Publications
- Agarwal, U.P.; Reiner, R.S.; Beecher, J.F. 2009. Surface enhanced raman spectroscopy for lignin analysis. In: Proceedings of 15th international symposium on wood, fiber and pulping chemistry. 2009 June 15-18; Oslo, Norway: Congress-Conference AS, www.congrex.no. O-003, 4 p., limited availability.
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Ralph, Sally A. 2008. Determination of ethylenic residues in wood and TMP of spruce by FT-raman spectroscopy. Holzforschung. 62: 667-675.
- McDonough, Thomas J.; Uno, Shunichiro; Rudie, Alan W.; Courchene, Charles E. 2009. Optimization of ECF bleaching of kraft pulp: II. effects of acid prehydrolysis on hardwood pulp bleachability. Tappi Journal. 8(8): 10-18.
- Ralph, John; Lu, Fachuang; Kim, Hoon; Ress, Dino; Yelle, Daniel J.; Hammel, Kenneth E.; Ralph, Sally A.; [and others]. 2009. High-resolution solution-state NMR of unfractionated plant cell walls. In: Proceedings of 15th international symposium on wood, fiber and pulping chemistry. 2009 June 15-18; Oslo, Norway: Oslo, Norway: Congress-Conference AS, www.congrex.no. P-105, 4 p., limited availability.
- Terashima, Noritsugu; Akiyama, Takuya; Ralph, Sally; [and others]. 2009. 2D-NMR (HSQC) difference spectra between specifically 13C-enriched and unenriched protolignin of Ginkgo biloba obtained in the solution state of whole cell wall material. Hozforschung. 63: 379-384.
- Tozzi, Emilio J.; Klingenberg, Daniel J.; Scott, C.Tim. 2008. Correlation of fiber shape measures with dilute suspension properties. Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. 23(4): 369-373.
|
Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Wood fibers vary considerably in size and structure depending on wood species and growth conditions. Yet these fibers dictate the size of the pulp fibers used to make paper, the particles used in wood particleboard, and the wood fibers used in wood fiber reinforced composites. Personnel in the RWU have been conducting an extensive study on the effects of growth conditions on the size and performance of wood fibers. This includes studies of suppressed growth trees and the effect of plantation density (tree spacing) on fiber dimensions and properties. A second project carried out with the Georgia Institute of Technology put together a performance model of a five-stage kraft pulp bleach plant. The goal was to be able to predict the interaction of the bleaching stages and identify optimum bleaching conditions for normal and high brightness targets. A third project evaluated two explosions in the peroxide stages of kraft mill bleach plants. These explosions are rare events and the goal was to understand the unique conditions that led to the explosions. The study produced a kinetic model of the base catalyzed decomposition of peroxide. The model demonstrated that high peroxide concentrations were the primary source of the problem, but a specific series of events was required in startup or shutdown to produce the conditions where the high concentration peroxide generates enough oxygen gas and steam to rupture a bleach tower or over-pressurize a pump casing.
Impacts
Wood pulp for paper products is a valuable use of low quality wood removed from forests in fire risk management efforts. Research that improves the paper industry⿿s ability to use underutilized wood resources, reduce operating costs, and produce paper with lower environmental impact all increase the viability of this valuable forest management industry. Increasing the level of understanding of growth parameters on fiber qualities can help mills improve products, and can create additional demand for the suppressed growth wood that is removed in fuels reduction thinning projects. The bleach plant model is general enough for mills to use it to evaluate the chemical applications in their mill bleach plants. Improved chemical use can reduce the chlorine dioxide needed by 10% or more which not only reduces mill costs, but reduces the electrical energy needed to produce the chlorine dioxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly bleaching chemical, but the bleach plant explosions are causing concern. The project has shown that diluting the peroxide to 10% active chemical before distributing it in the mill could have prevented all the known explosions.
Publications
- Zhu, J.Y.; Scott, C. Tim; Gleisner, Roland; Mann, Doreen; Dykstra, D.P.; Quinn, G. Holton; Edwards, Louis L. 2007. Mill demonstration of TMP production from forest thinnings : pulp quality, refining energy, and handsheet properties. Bioresources. 2(4): 544-559.
- Chai, X.-S.; Samp, J.; Hou, Q.X.; Yoon, S.-H; Zhu, J.Y. 2007. Possible mechanism for anthraquinone species diffusion in alkaline pulping. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 46(15): 5245-5249.
- Zhu, J.Y.; Vahey, David W.; Scott, C. Tim. 2008. Some observations of wood density and anatomical properties in a Douglas-fir sample with suppressed growth. Wood and Fiber Science. 40(2): 225-232.
- Wiemann, Michael C.; Kretschmann, David; Rudie, Alan; Kimball, Bruce A.; Idso, Sherwood B. 2008. Long-term effects of elevated carbon dioxide on sour orange tree specific gravity and anatomy. Research Paper FPL-RP-648. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 5 p.
- McDonough, Thomas J.; Uno, Shunichiro; Rudie, Alan W.; Courchene, Charles E. 2008. Optimization of ECF bleaching of kraft pulp. Part 1. Optimal bleaching of hardwood pulps made with different alkali charges. Tappi Journal. 5(1): 4-10.
- Zhu, J.Y.; Vahey, D.W.; Scott, C.T.; Myers, G.C. 2008. Effect of tree-growth rate on papermaking fibre properties. Appita Journal. 61(2): 141-147, 155.
- Agarwal, Umesh Prasad. 2008. Raman spectroscopic characterization of wood and pulp fibers. Chapter 2. In: Hu, Thomas Q. Ed. Characterization of lignocellulose materials. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. 2: 17-35.
- McDonough, Thomas J.; Uno, Shunichiro; Rudie, Alan W.; Courchene, Charles E. 2007. Optimization of ECF bleaching of kraft pulp: II. Effects of acid prehydrolysis on hardwood pulp bleachability. In: Proceedings of TAPPI engineering, pulping and environmental conference. 2007 October 21-23; Jacksonville, FL: Atlanta, GA: TAPPI Press. 14 p.
- Hart, Peter W.; Rudie, Alan; 2007. Hydrogen peroxide-an environmentally friendly but dangerous bleaching chemical. In: Proceedings of TAPPI engineering, pulping and environmental conference. 2007 October 21-23; Jacksonville, FL. Atlanta, GA: TAPPI Press. 9 p.
- Boyer, Brian; Rudie, Alan. 2007. Single fiber lignin distributions based on the density gradient column method. In: Proceedings of TAPPI engineering, pulping and environmental conference. 2007 October 21-23; Jacksonville, FL. Atlanta, GA: TAPPI Press. 11 p.
- Zhu, J.Y.; Scott, C.T.; Gleisner, R.; Mann, D.; Vahey, D.W.; Dykstra, D.P.; Quinn, G.H.; Edwards, L.L. 2008. Forest thinnings for integrated lumber and paper production. Forest Products Journal. 57(11): 8-13.
- Rong, Xiaoying; Qi, Dewei; He, Guowei; Zhu, JunYong; Scott, Tim. 2008. Single curved fiber sedimentation under gravity. Computers and Mathematics with Applications. 55: 1560-1567.
|
Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Wood fibers vary considerably in size and structure depending on wood species and growth conditions. Yet these fibers dictate the size of the pulp fibers used to make paper, the particles used in wood particleboard, and the wood fibers used in wood fiber reinforced composites. Personnel in the RWU carried out an extensive study on the effects of growth conditions on the size and performance of wood fibers. This includes studies of suppressed growth trees, the effect of plantation density (plant spacing) on fiber dimensions of plantation grown trees, and correlating tree growth parameters to fiber properties. The project also completed several studies on the behavior of trace metals in bleach plants. The trace metals of concern are Calcium and Barium which enter a pulp mill in the wood and often cause mineral deposits of calcium carbonate, calcium oxalate, or barium sulfate. The deposits interrupt the mill operation and increase costs by reducing production capacity as well as the chemicals and manpower required to remove the deposits. The object of these studies has been to use improved understanding of the solution chemistry of the trace metals to identify no cost or low cost process changes that will prevent mineral scale deposits. Additional work was completed on investigating the aniosotropic organization of cellulose in wood fibers and on lignin reactivity with sodium chlorite and with polyoxometalates. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Wood pulp for paper products is a valuable use of low quality wood removed from forests in fire risk management efforts. Research that improves the paper industry's ability to use underutilized wood resources, reduce operating costs, and produce paper with lower environmental impact all increase the viability of this valuable forest management industry.
Publications
- Rudie, Alan W.; Hart, Peter W. 2006. Modeling and minimization of barium sulfate scale. In: Proceedings of 2006 TAPPI engineering pulping and environmental conference. 2006 November 5-8. Atlanta, GA: Atlanta, GA: TAPPI Press: 10 p. Available online: http://www.tappi.org
- McDonough, Thomas J.; Uno, Shunichiro; Rudie, AlanW.; Courchene, Charles E. 2006. Optimization of ECF bleaching of Kraft pulp: I. optimal bleaching of hardwood pulps made with different alkali charges. In: Proceedings of 2006 TAPPI engineering pulping and environmental conference. 2006 November 5-8. Atlanta, GA: Atlanta, GA: TAPPI Press: 14 p. Available online: http://www.tappi.org
- Rudie, Alan W.; Ball, Alan; Patel, Narendra. 2006. Ion exchange of H+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, and Ba2+ on wood pulp. Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technolgy. 26(3): 259-272.
- Agarwal, Umesh P. 2007. Higher acid-chlorite reactivity of cell corner middle lamealla lignin in black spruce. In: Proceedings of the 14th international symposium on wood fibre and pulping chemistry. 2007 June 25-28. Durban, South Africa. Kloof, South Africa: TAPPSA: 6 p.
- Bujanovic, Biljana; Ralph, Sally A.; Reiner, Richard S.; Atalla, Rajai H. 2007. Lignin modification in the initial phase of softwood kraft pulp delignification with polyoxometalates (POMs). Holzforschung. 61: 492-498.
- Zhu, J.Y.; Scott, C. Tim; Scallon, Karen L.; Myers, Gary C. 2007. Effects of plantation density on wood density and anatomical properties of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.). Wood and Fiber Science. 39(3): 502-512.
- Vahey, David W.; Zhu, J.Y.; Scott, C. Tim. 2007. Wood density and anatomical properties in suppressed-growth trees: comparison of two methods. Wood and Fiber Science. 39(3): 462-471.
- Zhu, J.Y.; Scott, C.T.; Scallon, K.L.; Myers, G.C. 2006. Using ring width correlations to study the effects of plantation density on wood density and anatomical properties of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.). In: Beihai, He; Shiyu, Fu; Fangeng, Chen, eds. Proceedings of 3rd international symposium on emerging technology of pulping and papermaking. 2006 November 8-10. Guangzhou, China. Guangzhou, China: South China University of Technology Press: 63-70.
- Vahey, D.W.; Zhu, J.Y.; Scott, C.T. 2006. Comparison of SilviScan and optical imaging measurements of tracheid dimensions and wood density. In: Proceedings of 2006 progress in paper physics. 2006 October 1-5. Oxford, OH. Oxford, OH: Miami University: 73-76.
- Bujanovic, Biljana; Hirth, Kolby C.; Ralph, Sally A.; Reiner, Richard S.; Atalla, Rajai H. 2007. Composition of the organic components in polyoxometalate (POM) liquors from Kraft pulp bleaching. In: Proceedings of the 14th international symposium on wood fibre and pulping chemistry. 2007 June 25-28. Durban, South Africa. Kloof, South Africa: TAPPSA: 9 p.
- Tozzi, E.J.; Scott, C.T.; Vahey, D.; Klingenberg, D.J. 2006. Effects of fiber shape on fiber settling dynamics and suspension viscosity [Abstract]. In: Proceedings of 2006 progress in paper physics. 2006 October 1-5. Oxford, OH. Oxford, OH: Miami University: 88
- Tozzi, Emilio.; Klingenberg, Daniel.; Scott, Tim; Vahey, David. 2006. Effects of fiber shape on fiber settling dynamics [Abstract]. In: Proceedings of 78th annual meeting of society of rheology. 2006 October 8-12. Portland, ME: 30
|
|