Pulp bleaching with peracetic acid generated from acetylated polymeric carbohydrates and hydrogen peroxide – Proof of principle

Abstract

The generation of peracetic acid in the pulp mill may open up new opportunities to use this bleaching chemical. The generation of peracetic acid from acetylated carbohydrates and hydrogen peroxide followed by bleaching of pulp in a T stage was therefore studied with special emphasis on the COD content in the bleaching effluent from this stage. This preliminary work demonstrates that peracetic acid can be generated from acetylated polymeric carbohydrates and hydrogen peroxide, and that this peracetic acid will bleach pulp fibres as effectively as distilled peracetic acid. It is also shown that most of the deacetylated polymeric carbohydrate (in this case cationic starch) adsorbs to the fibre and does not affect the COD content of the filtrate after the T stage. The peracetic acid has been generated with and without pulp present. The peracetic acid yield from polymeric activators and hydrogen peroxide was lower than that from acetylated glucose. The peracetic acid yield can be further be optimised with respect to the acetylated polymer structure, process parameters and added peracetic acid stabilisers. No effect on the tensile strength was observed when cationic starch was used as an acetyl carrier in a TCF sequence with a final (PO) stage. Most of the cationic starch was probably removed in the washing after the (PO) stage pulp. To avoid this, the (PO) stage should be exchanged for a neutral or acidic bleaching stage or the cationic starch should be exchanged to a carbohydrate that better adsorbs to the fibre under alkaline conditions.