RECENT RESULTS FROM EAPC™ /LO-SOLIDS® TRIALS

AT ENSO’S VARKAUS PULP MILL

Auvo Kettunen Veli-Antti Kortelainen

Jian Er Jiang Esa Kervinen
Hannu Ramark Varkaus Pulp Mill
Richard Laakso Enso Fine Papers
Ahlstrom Machinery Varkaus, Finland
Karhula, Finland

ABSTRACT

The enhanced alkaline profile cooking is a patented new pulping process, developed based on extensive laboratory
studies. It seeks to optimize the cooking EA concentration profile for improving pulping selectivity and pulp strength
properties, particularly tear strength, through controlled sequential white liquor additions and cooking liquor
recirculation.

After the first successful mill trials of the new process in May 1996, process modifications were made to a two-vessel
digester system for the implementation of the new cooking process in 1997 at Enso Fine Papers’ Varkaus pulp mill.
Upon completion of the retrofit in September 1997, cooking trials were conducted in late 1997 and early 1998 with
promising results.

This paper will describe the process changes made for implementing the new cooking technology, and discuss the
results obtained so far in light of digester operation, process chemistry and pulp properties.

INTRODUCTION

The effect of EA concentration profile on pulp strength properties, i.e. tear at tensile, has been studied in laboratory
[1]. It was found that a higher EA concentration in the end part of the cook gave more than four unit increase in tear
index at tensile 70 Nm/g. The higher end-of-cook EA concentration improved also the pulp bleachability. These same
effects of alkali profile on pulp properties has been confirmed in mill scale trials [2].

In hardwood pulping, alkali profile was found to show a major impact on pulping selectivity, i.e. cooking yield and
viscosity. Achren et al. has recently conducted a laboratory study where he showed the effect of low and even EA
concentration on hardwood (Scandinavian birch) pulp yield [3]. By altering EA concentration profile, more than six
percentage points in yield differences were observed at the same kappa level of 18. Six percentage points in pulp
yield deference correspond to about 10% in wood consumption.

By employing multiple white liquor additions, multiple black liquor extractions, and counter-current impregnation,
Lo-Solids
(LS) pulping achieves a low and even alkali profile over the whole cooking stage. Long term production
data from three independent installations have shown a 2 to 5% increase in hardwood pulp yield for digesters
converted to Lo-Solids cooking[4].

A new cooking process, Enhanced Alkali Profile Cooking, has been further developed, based on these studies and
process simulations. In the newly developed cooking process the alkali concentration profile can be controlled in a
much wider range without increasing white liquor consumption.

Based on the above cited new findings and the new development, process modifications were made to a two-vessel
digester system for the implementation of the new cooking process in 1997 at Enso Fine Papers’ Varkaus pulp mill.
Upon completion of the retrofit in September 1997, cooking trials were conducted in late 1997 and early 1998. This
paper will describe the process and hardware changes made for implementing the new cooking technology, and
discuss the results obtained from hardwood cooking trials in light of digester operation, process chemistry and pulp
properties.

PROCESS AND HARDWARE CHANGES

In September 1997, the two-vessel vapor-phase MCC® digester at Enso Fine Papers’ Varkaus pulp mill was
modified for the implementation of new cooking process. The following hardware modifications were made:
 Minor piping changes for implementing the new cooking process,
 Digester bottom scraper re-build to achieve more uniform chip column movement,
 Extraction liquor cooler to pre-heat white liquor and filtrate to improve steam economy and to help
cooking circulation heater.

Figure 1. compares the digester schematics before and after the hardware modification. Before the retrofit, it was a
typical vapor-phase digester designed for modified continuous cooking, with two exceptions: (1) the trim circulation
and the modified cooking extraction were very close (~1 m) to each other, and (2) about 20% of the total extraction
was taken from the modified cooking circulation screens. In the new cooking process, the upper extraction was taken
from the trim circulation screen. Cooking circulation was done by using the extraction screens, lower extraction using
the upper row of the modified cooking circulation screens, and quench circulation using the lower row of the
modified cooking circulation screens. The wash zone was changed to a cooking zone by adding heat and white liquor
to the wash circulation.

PROCESS CHEMISTRY AND PULP PROPERTIES

During the hardwood cooking trials, alkali profile was controlled so that the EA concentration was low and even in
most parts of the cook to achieve a better pulp yield, and at the same time higher at the end part of the cook to
achieve better pulp strength and bleachability. This EA profile was achieved by following the standard Lo-Solids
cooking operation, except with an extra amount of white liquor added to the quench circulation. Part of the lower
extraction was circulated back to the feed system to keep the white liquor consumption on the normal level. There
was no need to circulate all liquor from the lower extraction back to the feed, because the mill needed to keep
combined extraction EA concentration on a relative high (~10 g/L as NaOH) level to facilitate operation in the BL
evaporation plant.

Figure 2 shows the alkali concentrations inside the digester in different locations. One can see that as compared to
Varkaus’ previous operation, the new process showed the alkali concentration lower in the beginning and higher at
the end part of the cook.

Because the cooking time was much longer, due to converting the wash zone to a cooking zone, and because of a
higher EA concentration at the end part of the cook, the maximum cooking temperatures during the trial were almost
10 C lower than in the reference. This further improved pulping selectivity, as shown by the results in Table 1.

Pulp samples were taken after mill bleaching to test paper properties. Mill bleaching was done in a displacement
bleach plant. The sequence was ODEDED. Brown stock samples were also taken from the blow line and lab bleached
with a DEDED sequence to compare bleachability. Lab bleaching and testing were done by Enso Research Center in
Imatra, Finland.
 M CC E AP C / L O - S OL I D S

T rim C irculation U pper E xtraction

E xtraction C ooking C irculation
WL + F

WL
M CC Lo wer E xtractio n
C ir culation Q uench C irculation
WL

W as h C irculation W as h C irculation
WL

Figure 1. Comparison of digester schematics before and after retrofit at Varkaus (Impregnation vessel not shown).

Table 1. Brown stock kappa number, viscosity and cellulose content.

Reference Trial
Kappa number 16,3 15,8
Brownstock Tappi viscosity, mPa.s 44,0 49,7
Cellulose content, % on pulp 75,7 74,7
Lignin-free pulp yield, % on wood 47,3 48,1

Paper properties are shown in figures 3-5. Beatability of the pulp is expressed as tensile development during Valley
Hollander beating. As can be seen the trial pulp was easier to beat and the maximum tensile level reached was
significantly higher than the reference pulp.

Figure 4 shows pulp tear strength as a function of tensile strength. The trial pulp showed a about 10% higher strength
than the reference over the entire tensile range tested. The trial pulp also showed better optical properties. Both light
scattering and opacity were higher than that of the reference pulp.

Bleaching responses of the brown stock samples are shown in Figure 6. As can be seen the trial pulp was much easier
to bleach. The maximum brightness level was higher and chlorine dioxide charge needed to reach a given target was
about 15% lower for the trial pulp.
 20

18 Reference
16 Trial

14
EA, g/L as NaOH

12

10

0
Transfer Trim/Upper Extr./Cook Low er MC/Quench Wash Blow flow Cold blow
Circulat. Extr. Circulat. Extract. Circulat. Circulat.

Figure 2. Comparison of cooking EA profiles.

100

90

80
Tensile index, N.m/g

70

60

50
Reference
40 Trial

30

20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Beating time, min
Figure 3. Comparison of mill bleached pulp beatability.
 9.0

8.5

8.0

7.5
Tear index, mN.m2/g

7.0

6.5

6.0

5.5
Reference
5.0
Trial
4.5

4.0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Tensile index, N.m/g

Figure 4. Comparison of mill bleached pulp tear-tensile strength.

34

Reference
32
Trial
30
Light Scattering, m2/kg

28

26

24

22

20

18

16
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Tensile index, Nm/g

Figure 5. Comparison of mill bleached pulp light scattering.

 91

90

89
Brightness, % ISO

88

87

86

Reference
85
Trial

84
45 50 55 60 65 70
ClO2 Consumption, kg act. Cl/BDT

Figure 6. Bleaching response. Final brightness as a function of ClO2 consumption in lab DEDED
bleaching.

Yield measurement in the mill scale digester is not easy. Marcoccia et al. [4] has presented several methods to
measure indirectly pulp yield in mill circumstances. One of the most useful methods is based on viscosity and
cellulose content analysis of the brown stock pulp. It was found that pulp yield is directly proportional to the
logarithm of TAPPI viscosity and inversely proportional to cellulose content of the pulp. The trial pulp was found to
show a higher viscosity and a lower cellulose content (Table 1). This indicates a higher pulp yield for the trial pulp
despite its lower kappa number. The viscosity difference further increased after mill bleaching, indicating that the
pulp yield difference might increase over the bleach plant.

SUMMARY

The newly developed enhanced alkali profile cooking process was developed to give more flexibility for controlling
cooking EA profiles in a kraft cook. With an optimized cooking EA profile, pulp yield, strength and bleachability can
be increased.

Enso Varkaus two-vessel vapor-phase digester was modified for the newly developed cooking process. During the
hardwood cooking trials, the following improvement in pulp properties were observed over the reference cooking:
 yield increased by ~1%
 beatability increased by ~15%
 strength increased by ~10%
 optical properties improved.
 bleachability increased by ~15%.
Based on the positive results from the trials, the mill has decided to implement the new cooking process as the
standard operation on a permanent basis after the annual shutdown during the summer of 1998.
REFERENCES

1. A. Kettunen, H. Råmark, K. Harsia, and K. Henricson, “Effect of cooking stage EA concentration profiles on
softwood kraft pulping.” Paperi ja Puu 79(4): 232-239 (1997).
2. A. Kettunen, J. Jiang, K. Harsia, B. Marcoccia, “Enhanced alkali profile cooking: further improvements in pulp tear
strength.” Tappi Pulping Conference Proceedings, Book 1, p.587-592, Tappi Press, Atlanta, GA USA (1997).
3. S. Achren et al., ”Improved pulp yield by optimized alkaline profiles in kraft delignification of birch wood.”
Tappi “Breaking the Pulp Yield Barrier” Symposium Proceedings, p. 91-102, Tappi Press, Atlanta, GA USA
(1998).
4. B. Marcoccia, B. Stromberg, J. Prough, “Achieving major increases in hardwood yield with Lo-Solids
cooking. A
study in progress.” Tappi “Breaking the Pulp Yield Barrier” Symposium Proceedings, p. 79-90, Tappi Press,
Atlanta, GA USA (1998).