Recombinant manganese peroxidase (rMnP) from Pichia pastoris. Part 2: Application in TCF and ECF bleaching

Abstract

AbstractThe recombinant manganese peroxidase (rMnP) produced from the yeastPichia pastorishas been investigated in totally chlorine free (TCF) and elemental chlorine free (ECF) bleaching sequences for improving the bleachability of kraft pulps. In TCF bleaching, oxygen delignified hardwood kraft pulp was treated with rMnP, followed by a sequence combining a chelating and alkaline peroxide bleaching stage. The inclusion of the enzymatic treatment significantly improved the pulp brightness to a level that is difficult to obtain by chemical bleaching alone. Furthermore, the treatment with rMnP resulted in energy savings during pulp refining with PFI mill with a slight improvement in pulp strength properties such as tensile index and burst index. In ECF bleaching, a significant reduction in chlorine dioxide consumption was obtained. A three-stage rMnP treatment combined with alkaline extraction, followed by DED bleaching sequence for hardwood kraft pulp (HWKP) or DEDED bleaching sequence for softwood kraft pulp (SWKP), reduced the total effective chlorine by 41% and 32% for HWKP and SWKP, respectively, compared with the conventional bleaching sequences without enzymatic treatment. The strength properties of the enzyme-treated pulp were also slightly better than that of the control pulp. Further reductions in the consumption of total effective chlorine were obtained when a xylanase pretreatment was incorporated into the bleaching sequence before the repeated rMnP treatment.