C H A P T E R
9
Paper Bioprocessing
9.1 INTRODUCTION
Paper products have been increasingly used
for writing and printing, as well as for pack-
aging, sanitary hygiene, and special purposes
because of the high functionality, relatively low
prices, biodegradability, and many other attrac-
tive properties. Furthermore, paper is produced
from renewable biomass feedstocks and waste-
paper may be either recycled or combusted to
generate energy. The production and usage of
various sorts of paper have been growing.
Global paper and board production managed
to reach a new record level of 406.5 million
tons in 2014. The pulp and paper industry
has started applying new, ecologically sound
technology (biotechnology) in its manufacturing
processes. Many interesting enzymatic applica-
tions have been proposed. Implemented technol-
ogies tend to change the existing industrial
process as little as possible. Enzymes have great
potential benefits in solving many problems
associated with papermaking. They have the
important benefits in that they can be considered
a “green” product. They are natural occurring
compounds with little adverse impact on the
environment. The use of enzymes in paper-
making has enormous potential. To realize there
are thousands of enzymes available for indus-
trial use and using them in papermaking
applications is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposi-
tion. Enzymes are a bit like keys: each opens a
Biermann's Handbook of Pulp and Paper: Paper and Board Making
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814238-7.00009-X
different door, and one needs the right ones to
unlock the potential of the fibers in the mill pro-
cess for the desired goals.
Efficacy is critical. The effect must be suffi-
cient and reliable enough to warrant a change
in process technology, or it will not be used.
Economy of scale can greatly reduce the expense
of enzyme production but unless the benefit is
substantial, a papermaker will not implement
the technology. Technical barriers can also block
implementation. The use of an enzyme in a pro-
cess step might call for adjusting operating
parameters such as pH, adding chemicals such
as surfactants, or making capital expenditures
such as mixing tanks. In addition to the cost to
implement the enzyme technology, the changes
required for altered downstream processing
might create expenses. For these reasons, inno-
vative enzyme processes are most readily
accepted when they can be incorporated into
existing practices.
9.2 PROCESSES
Deinking
Recycled paper is an important source of
raw material for the pulp and paper industry.
Recovery and use of secondary fiber for paper
production is increasing all over the world. The
European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC)
187 Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
188 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING
announced that the paper recycling rate in
Europe reached an impressive 71.5% in 2015.
According to ERPC’s final monitoring report
for 2015, compared with 2010, collection and
recycling has increased by almost one million
tons of paper. The 2015 European paper recy-
cling rate of 71.5% is 1.5% higher than the target
set by the ERPC in the third European Declara-
tion on Paper Recycling for the period 2010e15.
In case of recycled paper, one of the major
problems is that the ink needs to be removed
from the paper if it is to be reused for making
white paper. Therefore recycled paper is treated
with different deinking processes based on
detergents and separation of ink particles by
floating, i.e., that the particles are concentrated
at the surface and removed.
Enzyme-assisted deinking has been shown to
represent a potential environmentally friendly
alternative to conventional alkaline deinking
processes. In most cases, cellulases represent
the best choice; however, other enzymes such
as hemicellulases, amylases, and lipases can
help optimize the process depending on the
type of paper and ink. Enzymatic approaches
of deinking involve attacking either the ink or
FIGURE 9.1 The mechanism of cellulase
enzyme on fiber. Reproduced with permission
from Mohammed (2010).
FIGURE 9.2 The mechanism of amylase
enzyme on starch in the raw material. Repro-
duced with permission from Mohammed (2010).
the fiber surfaces. Lipases and esterases can
degrade vegetable oilebased inks. Pectinases,
hemicellulases, cellulases, and ligninolytic
enzymes alter the fiber surface or bonds in the
vicinity of the ink particles, thereby freeing ink
for removal by washing or floatation. A probable
mechanism of enzyme action on fiber is pre-
sented in Figs. 9.1 and 9.2.
Deinking with enzymes under acidic to
neutral conditions should reduce the overall
chemical requirements and minimize yellowing
of reclaimed papers that is normally observed
by conventional alkaline deinking. The use
of enzymes could lead to a reduction of the
pulping time, thus saving energy and potentially
increasing production. Besides the greater
decrease in the ink area, the mild alkaline condi-
tions used with enzymes have a positive impact
on stickies problems at the mill scale. An addi-
tional positive effect can also be expected as a
consequence of being able to reduce the addition
of nonionic surfactants because of their slow
biodegradation in the water treatment plant.
The exposure of recovered newsprint to high
temperature in closed containers accelerates the
oxidation and polymerization of ink particles,
 9.2 PROCESSES
called the summer effect. The “summer effect”
refers to a period during the summer months
when mills experience a loss in pulp brightness.
Oxidized and polymerized ink particles are
prone to fragmentation during alkaline deinking
and are difficult to remove by the subsequent
flotation process. This results in significant
reduction of brightness and cleanliness of the
final pulp. Neither conventional nor sulfite
deinking are effective in dealing with the
summer effect. Although sulfite deinking has
been shown to give relatively better deinking
performance as compared with alkaline deink-
ing, no improvement in the brightness has been
achieved. However, combining enzymes with
sulfite chemistry significantly enhances sulfite
deinking to achieve deinking of aged newsprint
at neutral pH. The potential of combining cellu-
lase enzymes with sulfite deinking to achieve a
superior natural deinking strategy for deinking
of old newsprint (ONP)/old magazine paper
(OMG) has been examined. Substantial improve-
ment in the deinking performance of ONP/
OMG in 70:30 ratio as compared with either
cellulase enzyme or sulfite deinking has been
reported.
Mixed office waste (MOW) is a frequently
underutilized source of wastepapers. It often
contains a large variety of dyed papers. The
color must be removed to make the pulp suit-
able for reuse. Usually, several chemical bleach-
ing agents such as ozone, oxygen, hydrogen
peroxide, or sodium hydrosulfite have been
used to bleach secondary fibers. Now, there is
an alternative color stripping process for sec-
ondary fibersdthe laccase-mediator system. A
bleaching sequence including an enzyme stage
called laccase-mediator system stage (L), a
hydrogen peroxide stage (P), and a sodium
hydrosulfite stage (Y) on a mixture of different
colored (green, yellow, red, and blue) writing
and printing papers was used. By using a L-P-
Y sequence, a pulp with optical properties
near to eucalyptus totally bleached pulp was
obtained. The application of L-P sequence
189
resulted in the pulp optical properties near to
the final pulp from K-P-Y, where K is a stage
applied in the same conditions of L stage but
without enzyme. The L-P-Y sequence reaches
a color removal of 90% and saves chemicals in
the final stages.
Use of enzymatic deinking on multigrade
furnish, such as Coated Book Stock, MOW, and
ONP, for producing writing and printing paper
reduced the residual ink count, increased bright-
ness, gave a cost saving of almost 50% in sodium
hydroxide, a 37% saving in sodium silicate, and
complete elimination of hydrogen peroxide
(Figs. 9.3e9.5).
Deinking of sorted office waste with hydrolyt-
ic enzymes showed higher brightness (1.0e1.5
points) and whiteness (2.7e3.0 points) and lower
residual ink as compared with chemically dei-
nked pulp. It was possible to obtain pulp
of <10 ppm dirt count with combination of cellu-
lase and alpha-amylase enzymes, resulting in
reduced chemical consumption. Chemical oxy-
gen demand and color loads were lower in
case of effluents generated during enzymatic
deinking.
Reducing Refining Energy
Enzymes are being used in papermaking to
promote reduction in refining energy, developing
paper characteristics, and enhancing productiv-
ity. The enzymes modify fiber to deliver a num-
ber of process- and product-related advantages.
In many cases, the mechanisms and effects are
unique and specific to enzymes and which con-
ventional papermaking additives have as yet to
deliver. Machines making tissue and fine print-
ing paper grades using bleached pulps and
requiring refining have achieved considerable
savings in energy consumption, substitution of
long fiber by short, and savings in starch use.
The cellulase-based products are added to the
fiber streams with specific physicochemical
conditions ideal for optimum enzyme activity.
Studies have also been conducted on packaging
190 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING

FIGURE 9.3 Effect of enzyme on residual ink count. Reproduced with permission from Mohammed (2010).

FIGURE 9.4 Effect of enzyme on brightness. Reproduced with permission from Mohammed (2010).

board machines using recycled fiber. Trials have
shown interesting and commercially viable re-
sults. These include increase in production rate
and decrease in steam consumption because of
better dewatering and increase in postpress
solids. Furthermore, sheet strength increased
and filtrate water quality also improved. The
pretreatment of pulps with cellulase enzymes
having cellobiohydrolase (CBH) as major activ-
ity has been found to result in reduced energy
requirements for refining without any appre-
ciable impact on pulp strength. This application
of enzymes in papermaking is picking up.
Hornification of the recycled pulp is also
reversed to some extent by the use of cellu-
lase and hemicellulase enzymes. In fact, the
 9.2 PROCESSES
FIGURE 9.5 Effect of enzyme on chemical consumption. Reproduced with permission from Mohammed (2010).
hornification occurs because of increase in the
degree of cross-linking in the fiber microstruc-
ture due to interfibrillar hydrogen bonding and
formation of esters, especially lactone (lactone
is present in hornified pulps but not in never-
dried pulps). Gentle refining is necessary in
case of hornified recycled fiber, or the fiber
will be damaged. However, more refining is
required to improve the reswelling of the fiber
for developing the required strength properties
of paper by increasing interfiber bonding. By con-
ventional refining of recovered fiber, breakage of
the fiber into fines is more pronounced than the
fibrillation. In contrast, by enzyme treatment the
fiber swelling increases, and the fiber becomes
more flexible, resulting in improved fibrillation
and less breakage into fines.
Pulp fibrillation by cellulases for enhancing
strength properties was already patented in
1959. The effect of different hydrolases on
the improvement of the refining process by
reducing energy consumption has been a matter
of intensive research in the past 2 decades.
Different cellulases and hemicellulases have
been proved to have a beneficial effect on refining
and on surface fiber morphology, giving rise to
better bonding properties and a closer structure
191
of paper. Furthermore, cellulase-free xylanase
application has improved pulp fibrillation and
water retention, shortened the time of refining
in virgin pulps, enhanced the restoration of
bonding, and increased both the freeness in
recycled fibers (RCFs) and the selective removal
of xylan from dissolving pulps.
The effectiveness of xylanase-aided refining
varies with pulp type and that fully bleached
pulps are less responsive than high kappa pulps.
Release papers, which are used as backings to
hold adhesive labels, are extremely dense and
are made by extensively refining a chemical
pulp. Mill trials showed that treatment with a
commercial cellulase reduced the refining
energy required by 7.5%. The success of this
cellulase application, which has been imple-
mented in some mills, may be due to a greater
tolerance for the losses in fiber strength associ-
ated with cellulase treatments. Other product
grades in this category include the high density
papers used in the food industry, as well as
condenser papers and glassinedthe refining of
all of these is enhanced by cellulase treatments.
Laboratory trials with Pergalase A40H on
condenser, glassine, and thin papers showed
about a 20% reduction in refining energy. Mill
192 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING

trials on glassine paper showed an energy saving TABLE 9.2 Effect of Enzyme Treatment on Power
of between 15% and 20%, while the opacity Consumption During Manufacturing of
remained the same. Studies on thin paper High gsm Base Papers (Super Coated Art
Board 122 gsm and Art Paper
showed that, even when pulp with a freeness of 102 gsm)dProcess-Scale Trial Results
40 mL higher was used, the formation improved,
and there was an energy saving of 10%. Condition Normal (Control) Trial
The treatment of recycled fibers with cellu- Before refining 16e18 16e18
lases reduced the refining energy required to
After refining 23e25 25e28
achieve a specific freeness. At equivalent levels
(1 Conical, 1 TDR and
of refining, the cellulase treatment of recycled 1 DDR)
pulps yielded increases in freeness but led to
After refining 23e25
reductions in average fiber length. One trial e
(1 Conical and 1 DDR)
revealed that the freeness of the refined stock
could be increased to allow greater incorporation Conditions: temperature, 40e45
C; pH, 6.8e7.0; RT, 1.5 h; stock
of the recycled fibers into a corrugating medium consistency, 4%; enzyme dose, 200 g/TP (dilution 50:50); dosing
point, mixing chest.
furnish. Others, using recycled kraft fibers and Based on data from Bajpai et al. (2006).
old corrugated container pulps, demonstrated
savings in refining energy.
Process-scale trial in a mill producing coated in other mills producing writing and printing
papers showed a reduction in refining energy paper also showed encouraging results. In a
of about 70 kWh/TP in softwood pulps and mill producing heavy gsm base papers, a trial
30 kWh/TP in hardwood pulps with neutral conducted with neutral cellulase/hemicellulase
cellulase/hemicellulase enzymatic complex. A enzyme led to the bypass of a triple-disc refiner
reduction in steam consumption of around of 180 KWh (Table 9.2). The strength and other
0.5 T/T of paper was observed. The use of the properties were within the specified limits and
enzyme eliminated the debottlenecking of comparable with those without a trial run. The
refining in the softwood street and increased enzyme is being used regularly in mills
production by 12% (Table 9.1). The strength throughout India, China, Indonesia, and North
properties were not affected. Process-scale trials America.

TABLE 9.1 Effect of Enzyme Treatment on Power Drainage Improvement

and Steam Consumption During
Coating Base ManufacturedProcess- Recycled fibers have higher drainage resis-
Scale Trial Results tance than virgin fibers and also have lower
strength. These differences limit the paper qual-
Power Consumption ity and the speed at which paper machines can
(kWh/T Pulp)
operate. The mechanical properties of fibers, as
Particulars Softwood Hardwood Steam (T/T Paper) well as their ability to swell, are diminished after
Control 200 150 2.57
they are exposed to pulping and drying condi-
tions imposed during the papermaking cycle.
Trial 130 120 2.07 Freeness reduction during beating is much faster
Savings 70 30 0.50 for secondary fibers. For equivalent beating
times, a sheet containing recycled fibers is less
Conditions: temperature, 40e45
C; pH, 6.8e7.0; enzyme dose
100 g/TP (in both the streets). dense and usually more absorptive than virgin
Based on data from Bajpai et al. (2006). fiber stock. The fines that are created when
 9.2 PROCESSES 193
secondary fibers are beaten consist largely of • b-D-glucosidase or cellobiose converts
microfibrils that were strongly coupled to each cello-oligosaccharides and cellobiose to
other when they were originally dried on the glucose. Using mixtures of cellulases can be
paper machine. When liberated during refining, disadvantageous for certain pulp properties.
they increase the specific surface area of suspen-
Applying purified enzymes, specific regions of
sion more than the swelling potential. They start
the cellulose fibers can be attacked, so the desired
to behave as fillers, with a small effect on
part of the pulp can be modified. In secondary
strength but a large effect on the drainage prop-
fibers, the fines and fibrils, which cause low rates
erties. In general, the greater the degree of
of drainage, consist of amorphous cellulose.
refining of the virgin fibers, the lower is the
Because the amorphous cellulose is more acces-
recovery potential of sheet properties that are a
sible than crystalline cellulose, it is not necessary
direct function of fiber bonding, such as burst
to use the whole cellulase complex for hydrolysis.
strength and tensile strength. Folding endurance
Thus applying endoglucanases may be effective
of recycled paper is also considerably lower than
enough. Most cellulases both from bacterial and
that for sheets made from virgin stock. Sheet
fungal sources have a general structure. Three
density decreases each time the fibers are
well-distinguished domains can be identified.
recycled. The strength losses may be the result
These are catalytic domain, cellulose-binding
of loss in binding potential, either in the strength
domain (CBD), linker region, which establishes
of the interfiber bonding or in their number.
the linkage between the first two domains. For
The potential of improving the drainage rates
the efficient hydrolysis of cellulose, the catalytic
of recycled fibers by cellulase mixtures was
domain has to be adsorbed on the substrate.
discovered in the late eighties. Researchers
The significance of the CBD in the hydrolysis of
from La Cellulose du Pin were the first to
cellulose has not been clearly described. Howev-
show that a mixture of cellulase and hemicellu-
er, it has been shown that the adsorption of the
lase enzymes increases the freeness of pulp.
cellulase enzymes and therefore their hydrolytic
Improved drainage and faster machine speeds,
activity are reduced if the CBD is removed from
resulting from increased freeness, yields signifi-
the protein. Researchers have proposed that the
cant savings in energy and thus in overall cost.
enzymatic attack may involve a peeling mecha-
The endoglucanase activity is a prerequisite for
nism, which removes fibrils and fiber bundles
drainage improvement of recycled pulps.
that naturally have a high affinity for water,
Cellulolytic enzymes are produced by fungi
and leaves the fibers less hydrophilic and easier
and cellulolytic bacteria. The cellulose system
to drain. Also, there are reports that enzymes
contains three types of enzymes: CBHs, endoglu-
act preferentially on fines, which have a propen-
canases, and b-D-glucosidases. The cellulase
sity to block up interstices in the fiber network.
enzymes are classified based on their mode of
The increase in drainage could be due to the
action as follows:
cleaving of amorphous cellulose on the surface
• Endoglucanases randomly attack the of fines. Owing to the high specific surface area
amorphous regions of cellulose substrate, of the fines, the attack of cellulases is specific
yielding high degrees of polymerization toward this fraction (i.e., the fines) of the pulp.
oligomers. The fiber surface is stripped through the enzy-
• CBHs are exoenzymes that hydrolyze matic hydrolysis of subsequent layers or fibrils.
crystalline cellulose, releasing cellobiose. Both Enzymes can either flocculate or hydrolyze fines
types of enzyme hydrolyze b-1,4-glycosidic and remove fibrils from the surface of large fines.
bonds. Enzyme-aided flocculation occurs.
194 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING

Several commercial enzymes are available (with 0.2% enzyme) at a reaction time of
which improve the drainage of secondary fibers. 30 min for low freeness pulp. An increase of
A commercial cellulase enzyme preparation the reaction time to 180 min improved the
(Pergalase A-40) based on Trichoderma has been drainage by 25.4% (with 0.1% enzyme) and
used in several mills to improve drainage. These 31.7% (with 0.2% enzyme). The pulp retained
types of enzymes are applied after refining/ most of the required strength properties when
beating of the pulp, mainly to improve the dew- treated with Pergalase either at 0.1% enzyme
atering. A cellulase enzyme with endoglucanase addition and a reaction time of 45 min or at
activity developed by Novozymes has been 0.2% enzyme addition and a reaction time of
reported to substantially increase the runnability 30 min. Increase of reaction time beyond
of recycled furnishes and reduces the steam 30 min with 0.2% enzyme resulted in deteriora-
consumption in drying of paper on treating the tion of strength properties. Pergalase treatment
pulp with enzyme after refining. on pulps of different initial freeness showed
The effectiveness of several commercial that the lower the initial freeness, the higher
carbohydrate-modifying enzymes has been exam- the gain.
ined for improving the drainage of secondary Several commercial enzymes are available
fibers. Drainage improvement over the control which improve the drainage of secondary fibers.
was substantial with Pergalase A-40 (a mixture A cellulase enzyme with endoglucanase activity
of cellulase and hemicellulase) when the old has found to improve the drainability of
corrugated containers (OCC) pulp was treated different types of recycled pulp. On treating the
after refining (Table 9.3). The drainage improve- refined pulps with enzyme, improvements in
ment was 11.7% (with 0.1% enzyme) and 21.3% Canadian standard freeness (CSF) were
observed of 40.5% in mixed waste (MW), 13.1%
in old newsprint (ONP), and 19.3% in OCC
TABLE 9.3 Effect of Enzyme Treatment on the (Table 9.4). Using OCC and addition of enzyme
Drainability of Old Corrugated at different levels, the CSF value increased with
Containers the increase in enzyme dose. But there was no
Reaction Drainage significant effect on tensile and compression
Enzyme Dose Time Time Improvement strengths of the enzyme pulps (Tables 9.5 and
(% o.d. pulp) (min) for 800 mL (s) in Drainage (%) 9.6). The endoglucanase activity of cellulase
0 e 31.5 e
0.1 30 27.8 11.7 TABLE 9.4 Effect of Enzyme Treatment on
CSF of Different Types of Pulp
0.1 45 26.5 15.9
CSF (mL)
0.1 60 26.1 17.1
0.1 120 25.1 20.3 Before Enzyme After Enzyme
Pulp Grade Treatment Treatmenta
0.1 180 23.5 25.4
OCC 419 500 (19.3%)
0.2 30 24.8 21.3
MW 304 427 (40.5%)
0.2 60 22.8 27.6
ONP 168 190 (13.1%)
0.2 180 21.5 31.7
CSF, Canadian standard freeness; OCC, old corrugated
Conditions: pH 5.0; temperature, 50
C; pulp consistency 5%; initial containers; ONP, old newsprint; MW, mixed waste.
a
Canadian standard freeness of pulp 490 mL. Values in parenthesis show percent improvement.
Based on Bhardwaj et al. (1995). Based on Shaikh and Luo (2009).
 9.2 PROCESSES 195
TABLE 9.5 Effect of Enzyme Dose on CSF reduction in steam consumption within the dryer
and Strength Properties of OCC section was also observed owing to increase in
Enzyme Compression Tensile
dewaterability. The ring crush increased by two
Dose CSF Strength Strength points.
(g/TP) (mL) (Nm/g) (Nm/g) A similar trial with enzyme treatment 100 g per
ton of pulp before refining in a European mill,
Nil 300 22.0 45.0
producing towel and tissue, showed an increase
50 353 22.5 45.5 in machine speed from 1650 to 1750 m/min for
100 368 23.0 45.5 tissue and from 1600 to 1750 m/min for towel
productions. The specific refining energy also
200 388 21.5 43.0
was reduced by 12.5%, probably because of
500 422 22.0 43.0 the presence of some CBH activity in the
CSF, Canadian standard freeness. enzyme product, which helps in pulp refining.
Based on Shaikh and Luo (2009). In Asian mill trials producing various basis
weight papers from OCC, steam savings on
enzyme treatment were observed. It has been
TABLE 9.6 Effect of Enzyme Treatment on the suggested that CBDs disrupt the structure of
Requirement for Cationic Polyacryl- cellulose fiber surfaces but have no detectable
amide for Drainage Control of OCC hydrolytic activity. The binding of CBDs to
Cationic Polyacrylamide cellulose, under a wide range of environmental
Requirement (kg/TP) conditions and without the need for chemicals,
makes them attractive molecules for designing
10 s Filtrate No Enzyme After Enzyme
Weight (g) Treatment Treatment
new paper-modifying agents that are environ-
mental friendly. Treatment of secondary paper
470 0.0 e fibers with CBDs allows improvements in
540 0.13 0.0 pulp drainability and mechanical properties of
paper. The interface system fiberewaterefiber,
600 0.60 0.35
and after drying, fibereairefiber, may be
650 0.84 0.58 affected by CBD treatment, influencing the
700 1.10 0.80 technical properties of pulp and paper. CBD
from Clostridium cellulovorans improves the
OCC, old corrugated container.
Based on Shaikh and Luo (2009).
mechanical properties of Whatman paper sheets,
as well as transforming it into a more water-
repellent paper, effects that were even more
partly hydrolyzes the amorphous and low significant when a double CBD was used. The
molecular mass components of cellulose present influence of CBDs on cellulosic fiber properties
in the form of fine, fibrils, and colloids and thus in different pulp samples, namely recycled
helps in dewatering the pulp. These components (from kraft and office waste papers) and chemi-
have very high specific surface area and hold cal (eucalypt and pine) pulps, has been studied.
maximum water. The drainage improvement It was found that the fibers treated with CBDs
caused by enzymes was demonstrated in a exhibited improved pulp drainability with
North American mill to study the change in reduced SchoppereRiegler (SR) value by up to
machine runnability. An increase in machine 15% and increased air permeability of pulp
speed was observed for the production of handsheets, while the strength properties were
200 g/m2 liner on enzyme dosing. A 6%e7% not significantly affected. The surface charge of
196
the fibers decreased with this treatment, but the
effect of the addition of a cationic polymer
(cationic starch) was not affected by it, at least
in the studied pulp sample. They also noted
that the behavior of the different fibers for the
tested properties was dependent on the fiber
morphology and origin.
To improve the drainability of secondary
fiber, treatment with cellulase alone generally
leads to a loss in pulp brightness. Furthermore,
when used in combination with a drainage aid
polymer, the loss in brightness is even more
pronounced. A method using a mixture of cellu-
lase and pectinase has been described to accom-
plish the goal of simultaneously increasing
freeness without a loss of brightness and phys-
ical properties. As seen in Table 9.7, treatment
with cellulase alone gave a very high improve-
ment in CSF value (190 mL) but not the bright-
ness, whereas treatment with pectinase alone
resulted in greater enhancement of brightness
(1.6 points) but very little improvement in CSF
(only 70 mL). However, treatment with a com-
bination of both enzymes resulted in appre-
ciable improvement in CSF (130 mL) and 1.6
points enhancement in brightness (the same as
that with pectinase).
TABLE 9.7 Effect of Cellulase and Pectinase
Enzymesa on Drainage of Deinked Pulp
Treatment CSFa (mL)
No enzyme 330
Cellulase (1 L/TP) 520 (190)
Pectinase (1 L/TP) 400 (70)
Cellulase (1 L/TP) þ 460 (130)
Pectinase (1 L/TP)
CSF, Canadian standard freeness.
a
Values in parenthesis indicate increase in freeness (CSF value) over
control at pH 5.5.
Based on Olsen et al. (2000).
9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING
Xylanase also has been found to improve the
freeness of deinked recycled pulp while having
no detrimental effect on fiber tensile strength.
By comparison, the tear indices of recycled
pulps treated with cellulases decreased. These
findings suggest that xylanases might be much
more effective than cellulases or crude xyla-
nase/cellulase mixtures. Xylanases, however,
remove hemicelluloses, which promote inter-
fiber bonding. This effect can also lead to poor
paper properties.
Stickies Control
Presence of stickies corresponds with the
major challenge in the processing and use of
recycled fiber. Some researchers proposed the
use of enzymes for stickies hydrolysis back in
late 1990s. Stickies are tacky, hydrophobic,
pliable organic material found in recycled paper
systems. They exhibit a broad range of melting
points and different degrees of tackiness,
depending on their composition. Stickies are
composed of a variety of materials, including
adhesives, styrene-butadiene latex, rubber, vinyl
acetate, and hot melts, etc. Variable nature of
stickies and the variability of the composition
of recycled fiber used by paper and board mills
make them more difficult to control. Stickies
cause runnability and quality issues. A new
approach to stickies control has been developed
that uses esterase-type enzymes to break down
the stickies into smaller and less tacky particles.
Brightness
(% GE) The use of esterases for stickies control is a
successful industrial application. Advantages of
80.7 enzymes as chemical methods for removal of
81.6 stickies have, historically, not been 100% satis-
82.3
factory. However, one limitation of enzymes is
that certain esterases might only be effective
82.3 against certain types of esters, which turns out
to be a major disadvantage due to the complex
nature of stickies in mill water systems. Some
esterases are able to hydrolyze a wide spectrum
of substrates, but others result in strictly specific
particular substrates. The extreme complexity of
 9.2 PROCESSES
stickies in pulp and paper mills has been well
documented. In fact, stickies can be considered
a complex mix of waxes, tackifiers, polyethylene,
hot melts, styrene butadiene, polybutene, poly-
vinyl acetate, acrylics, starch, and fibers. Further-
more, in a study carried out at three paper mills
on different continents, with each having a
different source of recycled paper as raw mate-
rial, it was reported that short-term variations
in extractable stickies in the incoming raw mate-
rial were quite extreme, with differences of 100%
being seen within hours. It is clear that a complex
problem requires a “complex” solution: the
esterase enzyme family includes different classes
of esterolytic enzymes, including between
others, carboxylesterases, true lipases, and
various types of phospholipases that can be
commonly obtained by bacterial fermentations.
Some strains are able to produce esterases that
hydrolyze complex polymers such as
polyethylene terephthalate.
A study of the chemical composition of
stickies shows that most contain a number of
ester-type chemical bonds that link the basic
building blocks of the stickies together. A num-
ber of esterase-type enzyme mixtures have
been studied to find the one that had the ability
to break down the stickies. Breaking the ester
bonds reduces the size of the sticky by breaking
it into smaller components. A key advantage of
this approach is that once broken down, the
chance of the particles reagglomerating further
along the process is greatly reduced. Another
important effect on the stickies is the enzyme
modification of the surface of the stickies. This
change results in less tacky stickies. These
enzymes have been proven to reduce downtime,
decrease cleaning chemical costs, and increase
machine clothing life better than historical
stickies control technologies.
On treatment of ONPs and OMGs with
esterase-type enzyme in a mill trial, a dramatic
reduction in the size of the sticky particles was
seen. The stickies content of all the sizes and
the total stickies were much less on enzyme
197
treatment as compared with those without
enzyme (pretrial results). The bigger size stickies
are totally absent in the recycled fiber treated
with enzyme. When the recycled fiber from
MOW was treated with esterase enzyme in one
mill, the total stickies content reduced appre-
ciably. Without enzyme treatment of MOW, it
was not possible to increase the recycled fiber
content in the final furnish beyond 50%. Even
then, the total stickies were more than 250 ppm.
However, on treating the recycled fiber from
MOW with enzyme, total stickies content could
be reduced to around 100 ppm, that too with
higher content (60%) of recycled fiber.
In another mill using MOW, the recovered
fiber was treated with enzyme to reduce the
percentage of high brightness virgin pulp in
the final furnish without compromising on
brightness of the finished stock. With addition
of 35% high bright pulp, the normal brightness
gain from coarse screen to finish stock was
only 12e14 points when no enzyme treatment
was given to the recovered fiber. However,
after esterase enzyme treatment of MOW
recovered fiber, it became possible to get a
brightness gain of more than 15 points even
when the high bright pulp content was
15%e20% only.
Fig. 9.6 shows the effects of enzyme treatment
of stickies. On the left, polyvinyl acetate particles
have agglomerated to form large globules that
can cause not only breaks and downtime on
the paper machine but also create operating
system breaks and problems on converting
equipment as well. The globular particles can
also cause paper to double feed through printers,
etc. On the right in this figure, enzyme treatment
keeps the particles small, dispersed, and non-
tacky. Fig. 9.7 is a scanning electron microscope
photo of the surface of a stickies particle showing
the effects before and after enzyme treatment. As
can be seen on the right, the surface is very
smooth after treatment compared with that
before treatment on the left. The following two
photographs Figs. 9.8 and 9.9 show the buildup
198 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING
FIGURE 9.6 Results of enzyme treatment on stickies (no treatment on the left and after enzyme treatment on the right).
Reproduced with permission from Patrick (2004).
FIGURE 9.7 Electron photomicrograph
of the surfaces of a stickies particle before
enzyme treatment (left) and after
treatment (right). Reproduced with permis-
sion from Patrick (2004).
FIGURE 9.8 Stickies being doctored from dryer cans at a
270-tpd recycled linerboard mill in Brazil. Reproduced with
permission from Patrick (2004).
of stickies being doctored from dryer cans at this
mill before the use of enzymes and the subse-
quent elimination of stickies after the enzyme
program was started.
Enzymatic Modification of Starch for
Surface Sizing and Coating
Enzymes have been used for modification of
starches for surface sizing and coating for a long
time. Starch imparts many beneficial properties
to paper. These include strength, stiffness, and
erasability. Properly controlled enzymatic modi-
fication of starch provides the papermaker ample
opportunities to get uniform quality of starch
 9.2 PROCESSES
FIGURE 9.9 After the start of Optimyze program, dryer
cans at recycled linerboard mills are completely free of stick-
ies buildup. Reproduced with permission from Patrick (2004).
paste, to produce starch paste as per requirement,
and to produce quality surface-sized papers
with the minimum cost of the starch component.
Alpha-amylase enzyme is used for modification
of starch. The enzyme-modified starch meets
almost all the properties required for surface
sizing of writing and printing grades of paper.
The process of enzyme modification can be
applied to different types of starches. The oper-
ating conditions in terms of enzyme dose and
reaction time may vary. Enzyme-modified starch
is available from starch producers or can be pro-
duced on site at the paper mill using a batch or
continuous process. No capital investment is
required to switch over from oxidized starch to
in situ modification of native starch with enzyme.
Oxidized starch may contain adsorbable organic
halides (AOX) products, which are formed by
the reaction of sodium hypochlorite with residual
lipids in native starch. The presence of AOX prod-
ucts in starch can affect its use in consumer prod-
ucts. Modification of starch with enzyme does not
involve any chemicals; it is totally free from AOX
products. Oxidation of native starch with sodium
hypochlorite, however, takes place at relatively
lower temperatures, so it requires a longer reac-
tion time. Because the reaction is not so selective,
it results in significant loss of starch (30%e40%)
199
in the form of water-soluble material, which
goes into the wastewater requiring elaborate
treatment. It results in increased cost of oxidized
starch. On the other hand, enzymatic reaction is
highly selective, and hydrolysis can be controlled
to avoid generation of any soluble material but
reduce the viscosity to a desired value. Oxidized
starch is produced by chemical modification at
the site of starch manufacturers. Therefore the
papermaker has no control over its quality in
terms of viscosity, etc. The cooking of oxidized
starch is done at the papermaker’s site for its
dispersion and gelation only. The enzymatic
modification is done by the papermakers at their
site where the final viscosity is controlled by the
paper mill. The cost of surface sizing using enzy-
matically modified starch is much lower as
compared with that using oxidized starch.
Because the native starch contains some residual
protein, the brightness of enzymatically modified
starch is little lower than the oxidized starch. The
optical brightening agents can be used to
compensate the brightness. There is also a colora-
tion problem because of the presence of metals in
the native starch. Therefore the native starch used
for enzymatic modification should have negli-
gible protein and ash contents. Process conditions
(in terms of pH of the starch slurry, temperature
time profile, enzyme dose, and reaction times)
are very sensitive to control the quality of enzy-
matically modified starch. There is a significant
difference in the cost of oxidized starch and
enzymatically modified starch. So, the paper mills
can realize substantial saving by switching over
from oxidized starch to the enzymatically modi-
fied starch.
Slime Control and Boilout
Slime deposition causes significant operating
problems around a paper machine. Slime is the
generic name for deposits of microbial origin in
a paper mill. It is impractical to run a paper
mill as a sterile system. As a result, a vast array
of microbes contaminate the mills, and many of
200 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING
the resulting slime compounds have not been
characterized. When confronted with a slime,
often the strategy is to try every available biocide
until one is found which targets the microbe and
destroys the source of slime. In some cases,
however, specific slime compounds have been
characterized, and efficient strategies for their
removal can be used. One such case is with
levan, which is a polymer of fructose that forms
a slime film. This compound is secreted by
several species of Bacillus and Pseudomonas
bacteria that can grow in the recirculated water
around the paper machine, especially for fine
paper, where the level of inhibiting compounds
is low. The enzyme levan hydrolase can hydro-
lyze this polymer to low-molecular-weight
polymers that are water soluble, thereby clean-
ing the slime out of the system.
The enzyme is usually added at the headbox
of the paper machine, although in some cases it
has been added at dryer discharge. The enzyme
is effective at pH 4e8 and runs best at pH 5.0.
The specific nature of slime and its formation
depend on the mill environment. The counter-
measures vary with the type of slime deposit.
Traditional methods employ combinations of
biocides. This leads to high processing and treat-
ment costs and also effluent toxicity. So, alterna-
tive control methods are in demand. Such
methods are the use of enzymes, biodispersants,
bacteriophages, competing organisms, and bio-
logical complex formers. Enzymes represent a
clean and sustainable technology. Hence use of
enzymes for slime control is expected to bring
important benefits for the pulp and paper indus-
try. Enzymes are produced using renewable raw
materials and are nontoxic and biodegradable.
Many enzymatic products are already in indus-
trial use around the world, and many additional
products are currently being designed and tested
for a wide variety of specific applications. Use of
enzymes in combination with biodispersants
appears to be a promising method for slime con-
trol. Nevertheless, whatever the nature of the
new applications, the eventual changeover to
biocide-free methods will be possible only
when the new technologies become beneficial
and realistic replacements.
Results showed that addition of bacterio-
phage to mill white water was an effective tech-
nique for slime control. Simultaneous addition of
bacteriophage with conventional biocides also
was found to be effective. Practical application
of this technique on a commercial scale awaits
completion of fundamental studies in several
key areas. Unlike conventional biocides, bacte-
riophages will not impair the activity of the
sludge used in waste treatment systems.
Enzymes also can be used during boilout for
removing deposits from the wetted surfaces of
a paper machine during a shutdown. Use of
alpha-amylase enzyme in combination with
lipase and protease in paper machine boilout
has provided unprecedented results compared
with traditional caustic treatment. These enzymes
are also effective to remove slime and control the
growth of bacteria in paper machine systems.
This technology has been well received by mills,
especially those using a starch-based coating
system. Many enzymatic products are already
in industrial use around the world, and many
additional products are currently being designed
and tested for a wide variety of specific applica-
tions. Use of enzymes in combination with bio-
dispersants appears to be a promising method
for slime control. Enzyme-based boilouts remove
the compounds such as starch, slime, pitch,
adhesives, latex, and other synthetic binders
that hold the deposits together. The type of
enzyme used and the dispersant depends on
the type and amount of deposit present in the
system. Starch slurry contains deposits that are
microbiological and/or starch protein based.
Boilouts using a product that contains a stabi-
lized protease enzyme are found to be effective
in these systems. For the cooked starch system,
an alpha-amylase product is used to remove
deposits comprised mainly of cooked starch. In
both cases, a preboilout system flush is essential.
This removes the cooked starch and allows the
 9.2 PROCESSES
enzyme to work particularly on deposits. Enzy-
matic boilouts are pH neutral and can be
dumped directly to the sewer, without neutral-
izing the solution and without any upset at the
waste treatment facility. Also, it removes the
safety concerns associated with working with
and around the caustic solution. It eliminates
the requirement for excessive rinsing to purge
caustic from the system. Each of these factors
contributes to a reduction in the downtime
necessary for a boilout and maintenance outage,
which shows cost savings. Starch-based coating
systems can be successfully cleaned via a boilout
using the alpha-amylase enzyme. The parame-
ters for this boilout are similar with the
enzyme-based boilout product mentioned previ-
ously. It is required to use a neutral dispersant/
penetrant capable of removing latex, and other
binders that may be present in the coating
formulation in addition to the enzyme-based
product. Also, a higher temperature range
(130e150
F) and a longer recirculation time
(2 h) will be beneficial for a starch-based coating
system boilout. Enzyme boilouts are not recom-
mended for the coating systems that do not
contain starch. Enzyme boilouts have been suc-
cessfully applied in systems that use both
starch-based and nonestarch-based coatings.
Enzyme-based chemistries are found to be suc-
cessful for different types of paper mills ranging
from acid to alkaline papermaking, recycled to
virgin, board to fine paper to tissue, including
all variety of additives linked with these various
furnishes.
Reduction of Cationic Demand
Cationic demand can be reduced in peroxide-
brightened mechanical pulp furnishes by
adding pectinase enzyme. Alkaline peroxide
solubilizes pectins that create a significant part
of the cationic demand. Once hydrolyzed by
pectinase, the demand is lowered. This was
reported by researchers at Turku University,
Finland. Dynamic drainage jar experiments
201
show that the pectinase treatment improves
the effectiveness of several cationic polymers
to increase retention of fines and filler particles.
It does not increase retention in the absence of
retention aids or with nonionic polymers and
does not damage the enzyme’s strength proper-
ties of the pulp. Pectinase could be easily
incorporated into paper machine stock prepara-
tion systems to lower the charges of cationic
retention aids needed in furnishes containing
peroxide-bleached mechanical pulp. A study
by Paprican’s researchers with Novozyme’s
pectinase has resulted in application of this
technology in North America. Savings in
retention aids and white-water sewering can
be achieved. Pectinase application may be effec-
tive in reducing levels of anionic trash in mills
using peroxide-bleached pulps. The enzyme
pectinase reduces the cationic demand of the
dissolved fraction of peroxide-bleached ther-
momechanical pulp by up to 60% and improves
the effectiveness of cationic retention aids. In a
Paprican pilot trial, it was shown that pectinase
added to paper machine white waters operating
at 50
C and pH 5 reduced the cationic demand
of the white-water filtrate by 49%. Furthermore,
the enzyme was more cost-effective at decreasing
cationic demand of paper machine white water
than the two commercial cationic coagulants
also tested. Reducing cationic demand in pulp
filtrates to values below 0.5 mEq/L improved
the efficacy of the cationic flocculent irrespec-
tive of whether pectinase or coagulant was
used. The cellulase and hemicellulase present
in the commercial pectinase preparation neither
affected the strength and optical properties of
the paper nor increased freeness or number of
fines in the pulp. The use of pectinase in the
pulp and paper industry started in 2005. Several
trials were run in two North American paper
mills that use between 10% and 20% of either
peroxide-bleached thermomechanical pulp or
peroxide-bleached pressurized groundwood
in their furnish. Pectinase reduced cationic
demand of the pulp filtrate by up to 50%.
202 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING
Pectinase use led to savings in alum, cationic
retention aid chemicals, cationic strength agent,
and cationic starch. Machine runnability was
improved in both mills.
Control of Dissolved Colloidal
Substances Present in Mill Process Water
The potential of using a combined fungal and
enzyme system as an internal treatment has been
examined for the control of the buildup of harm-
ful dissolved and colloidal substances present in
a thermomechanical pulp (TMP)/newsprint mill
process water. The experimental data obtained
regarding the composition of a TMP process
white water provided a better understanding of
the effect that the dissolved colloidal substances
(DCS) components in the recycling white water
system had on the paper properties and also
helped in the design of an appropriate treatment
technology. Trametes versicolor, a white rot fun-
gus, was shown to be able to grow on unsupple-
mented process waters and effectively removed
white water organics. The fungus also produced
different types of enzymes during its growth on
the different white water streams, and the fungal
enzyme treatments resulted in a significant
degradation or modification of various DCS
components. A combined fungal and enzyme
system could possibly be used as an internal kid-
ney type of treatment for removing detrimental
organic substances present in a TMP/newsprint
mill with a closed-water system.
9.3 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bajpai P (1999). Application of enzymes in
pulp and paper industry. Biotechnol. Prog. 15
(2), 147e157.
This article reviews the application of
enzymes in the pulp and paper industry.
Attention is focused on the recent advances.
Bajpai P (2012). Biotechnology in Pulp and
Paper Processing. Springer Inc., New York,
US, pp. 412.
This book presents a comprehensive coverage
of all aspects of biotechnology in the pulp and
paper industries.
Bajpai P (1997). Enzymes in Pulp and Paper
Processing. Miller Freeman, San Francisco,
California, USA, pp. 137.
This book discusses the application of
enzymes in different pulp and paper
processing steps.
Bajpai P (2005). Surface sizing. In: Emerging
Technologies in Sizing. PIRA International,
UK, p. 135. Ch.
This chapter discusses scientific and technical
advances in the surface sizing of paper.
Bajpai, P., Bajpai, P.K., 1998. Deinking
with enzymes: a review. Tappi J. 81 (12),
111e117.
The use of enzymes has been suggested as an
environmentally friendly alternative to
complement conventional chemical deinking
in the recycling of recovered paper. This
review presents deinking with enzymes.
Bajpai, P., Bajpai, P.K., Mishra, O.P., Mishra,
S.P., Kumar, S., Vardhan, R., October (2004).
Enzyme’s role in improving papermaking. In:
ninth International Conference on
Biotechnology in the Pulp & Paper Industry,
Durban, Sappi Forest Products, South Africa,
pp. 10e14.
Enzyme’s role in improving papermaking is
presented in this paper.
Bajpai P, Mishra SP, Mishra OP, Kumar S,
Bajpai, PK (2006). Use of enzymes for
reduction in refining energy e laboratory and
process-scale studies. Tappi J. 5 (11), 25e32
(P. K).
This paper examines the use of enzymes for
reduction in refining energy. The results of
laboratory and process-scale studies are
presented in this paper.
 9.3 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bajpai PK (2010). Solving the problems of
recycled fiber processing with enzymes.
BioResources 5 (2), 1311e1325.
This paper deals with the importance of
recycling of paper, problems associated with
the recycling, and potentials of enzymes in
solving these problems. A few case studies
have also been included.
Bhardwaj NK, Bajpai P, Bajpai, PK (1995). Use
of enzymes to improve drainability of
secondary fibres. Appita 48 (5), 378e380.
This paper discusses the effects of enzymes,
e.g., cellulases and hemicellulases, on the
drainability of recycled pulp fibers.
Blomstedt M, Asikainen, J, L€ ahdeniemi, A,
Yl€onen, T, Paltakari, J, Hakala, TK (2010).
Effect of xylanase treatment on dewatering
properties of birch kraft pulp. BioResources 5
(2), 1164e1177.
This study shows that the enzymatic removal
of xylan from ECF-bleached birch kraft pulp
enhances the water removal from the pulp,
especially in the late stages of pulp drying.
Bobu, E, Moraru T, Popa VI (2003).
Papermaking potential improvement of
secondary fibers by enzyme treatment. Cellul.
Chem. Technol. 37 (3e4), 305e313.
This paper discusses papermaking potential
improvement of secondary fibers by enzyme
treatment.
Covarrubias, R (2006). Fibre modification
through biotechnology. Pulp Pap. 80 (6).
http://www.risiinfo.com/magazines/June/
2006/PP/newspp20060828305.html.
Fiber modification through biotechnology is
discussed. The carefully selected and
formulated enzyme-based products modify
fiber to deliver a number of process- and
product-related advantages.
de Souza PM, de Oliveira e, Magalh~ aes, P
(2010). Application of microbial alpha
amylase in industry e a review. Braz. J.
Microbiol. 41, 850e861.
203
This review focuses on the production of
bacterial and fungal a-amylases, their
distribution, structuralefunctional aspects,
physical and chemical parameters, and the
use of these enzymes in industrial
applications.
Jones DR (2005). Enzymes: using mother
Nature’s tools to control man-made stickies.
Pulp Pap. Can. 106 (2), 23e25.
A new approach to stickies control by looking
at enzymes that would break down and
change the nature of stickies is presented.
Esterase-type enzymes were found that
actually break down the stickies into smaller,
less tacky particles. This new product line is
Optimyze.
Jones DR, Fitzhenry, JW (2003). Esterase Type
Enzymes Offer Recycled Mills an Alternative
Approach to Stickies Control. Pulp & Paper,
Canada (Feb issue) 28e31.
A new approach to stickies control that uses
esterase-type enzymes to break down the
stickies into smaller, less tacky particles is
discussed. Stickies can cause runnability and
quality problems, and their variable nature
makes them difficult to control. The smaller, less
tacky particles that are produced with the
enzyme technique are removed from the mill
process, thus reducing their impact on
runnability and paper quality.
Jones DR (2008). The next steps in enzymatic
stickies control. Pulp Pap. 82 (6), 21.
The enzymatic stickies control products have
proven successful in improving stickies
control in mills all over the world. However,
they did not always fit the situation or solve
the problem. What were required were
products with a broader range of activity.
Maurer HW (2001). Enzyme conversion of
starch for paper sizing and coating. In:
Maurer, H.W. (Ed.), Starch and Starch
Products in Surface Sizing and Paper Coating.
Tappi Press, GA, USA, p. 65.
204 9. PAPER BIOPROCESSING
This chapter discusses enzymatic conversion
of starch for paper sizing and coating.
Mohammed SH (2010) Enzymatic deinking: a
bright solution with a bright future. IPPTA 22
(3), 137e138.
Moss PA, Pere J (2006). Microscopical study
on the effects of partial removal of xylan on
the swelling properties of birch kraft pulp
fibers, Nord. Pulp Pap. Res. J. 21 (1), 8e12.
The effect of xylan removal on the surface
structure and swelling properties of
unbleached and bleached birch kraft pulp
fibers was carried out using environmental
scanning electron microscope (ESEM) and
confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM).
The wettingedrying experiments showed
that fiber swelling properties were severely
affected by the partial removal of xylan.
Oksanen T, Pere J, Paavilainen L, Buchert J,
Viikari (2000). Treatment of recycled kraft
pulps with Trichoderma reesei hemicellulases
and cellulases. J. Biotechnol. 78, 39e48.
Treatment of recycled kraft pulps with
Trichoderma reesei hemicellulases and
cellulases are presented in this paper. The
endoglucanases (EG I and EG II) significantly
improved pulp drainage already at low
dosage levels, and EG II was found to be more
effective at a given level of carbohydrate
solubilization. Combining hemicellulases
with the endoglucanase treatments increased
the positive effects of the endoglucanases on
pulp drainage.
Paice M, Zhang X (2005). Enzymes find their
niche. Pulp Pap. Can. 106 (6), 17e20.
Paprican researchers have reviewed the status
of enzymes in paper and pulp industry.
Patrick K (2004). Enzyme technology
improves efficiency, cost, safety of stickies
removal program. Pap. Age 22e25.
Mill results show new enzyme treatment of
recycled furnishes cuts stickies content
dramatically while reducing downtime and
the use of harsh, costly cleaning solvents.
Olsen WL, Zhu H, Hubbe MA (2000) Method
of improving pulp freeness using cellulase
and pectinase enzymes. US Patent 6,066,233.
Pommier JC, Goma G, Fuentes JL, Rousset C,
Jokinen, O (1990). Using enzymes to improve
the process and the product quality in the
recycled paper industry, part 2: industrial
applications. Tappi J. 73 (12), 197e202.
Using enzymes to improve the process and
the product quality in the recycled paper
industry is discussed. The results of industrial
applications are presented.
Shaikh H, Luo J (2009) Identifi cation,
validation and application of a cellulase
specifically to improve the runnability of
recycled furnishes. Proceedings 9th
international technical conference on pulp,
paper and allied industry (Paperex 2009),
New Delhi, India, 4e6 Dec 2009, pp. 277e283.
Reid ID, Ricard, M (2000). Pectinase in
papermaking: solving retention problems in
mechanical pulps bleached with hydrogen
peroxide. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 26,
115e123.
Pectinase could be easily incorporated into
paper machine stock preparation systems to
lower the charges of cationic retention aids
needed in furnishes containing peroxide-
bleached mechanical pulp.
Ricard M, Orccotoma JA, Ling J, Watson R
(2005). Pectinase reduces cationic chemical
costs in peroxidebleached mechanical grades.
Pulp Pap. Can. 106 (12), T 264eT268.
This article describes the first industrial use of
pectinase in the pulp and paper industry.
Several trials in two North American paper
mills that use between 10% and 20% of either
peroxide-bleached thermomechanical pulp
(BTMP) or peroxide-bleached pressurized
groundwood (BPGW) in their furnish were
run. Pectinase reduced cationic demand of the
pulp filtrate by up to 50%. Pectinase use led to
savings in alum, cationic retention aid
chemicals, cationic strength agent, and
 EXERCISES
cationic starch. Machine runnability was
improved in both mills.
Ricard M, Reid, I, Orccotoma JA (2002).
Pectinase reduces the cationic demand of
peroxide-bleached TMP: a paper machine
trial. Pulp Pap. Can. 106 (12), T258eT263.
Use of pectinase to reduce the cationic
demand of peroxide-bleached TMP is
presented. In two pilot paper machine trials,
pectinase reduced the cationic demand of
white-water filtrate by 49% and that of the
total white water by 35%. The enzyme was
more effective at decreasing the cationic
demand in comparison to two commercial
coagulants.
Thornton JW, Eckerman, CS, Ekman, RO,
Holmbom, BR (1996). Treatment of Alkaline
Bleached Mechanical Wood Pulp with
Pectinase. US Patent 5,487,812.
This invention relates to a method of making
paper from bleached or alkaline-treated pulp
by dewatering pulp containing bleached or
alkaline-treated fibers. It was found that such
bleached or alkaline-treated pulps contain a
substantial amount of harmful pectins. By
incorporating pectinase in the bleached or
alkaline-treated pulp, such harmful pectins in
the aqueous phase of the pulp are degraded
and thus rendered harmless to papermaking
processes.
Thornton, JW (1994). Enzymatic degradation
of polygalacturonic acids released from
mechanical pulp during peroxide bleaching.
Tappi J. 77 (3), 161e167.
Polygalacturonic acids account for about half
of the potential “anionic trash” in peroxide-
bleached mechanical pulp. Pectinase
205
treatment of the bleached pulp suspension or
filtrate degrades the dissolved
polygalacturonic acid into monomeric
galacturonic acid, effectively eliminating the
cationic demand caused by this anionic
polyelectrolyte. Pectinase treatment shows
promise as a means of preventing potentially
detrimental polygalacturonic acids from
complexing with the cationic polymers that
are widely used in papermaking.
Van Haute E (2003). Optimyze: enzymatic
stickies control products. Invest. Tec. Pap. 40
(149), 47e51.
Stickies remain as one of the major obstacles
in the manufacture of quality paper using
recycled fiber. Some new effective tools in this
area are enzymes. Optimyze enzyme
technology from Buckman is a sustainable
solution for stickies control in recycled fiber.
EXERCISES
1. What are enzymes?
2. What type of problems enzymes can solve
associated with papermaking?
3. Why enzymes are considered a “green”
product?
4. What are the major problems with recycled
fiber?
5. Which enzymes are used in deinking and
which one is the best?
6. List the various papermaking processes in
which enzymes can be used.
7. Which enzyme is used to reduce the cationic
demand of peroxide-bleached TMP?