Improvement of kraft pulp bleaching by treatments with laccase, urea, and refining
2013
Du, Xueyu | Eugenio Martín, María Eugenia | Li, J. | Eugenio Martín, María Eugenia [0000-0003-4550-5400]
Unbleached Eucalyptus kraft pulps were treated by three methods and the bleaching effects have been evaluated. The treatments were performed by a laccase-mediator system (LMS), refining (R), and urea (U) alone and in combination of these methods. The bleached pulps were characterized in terms of κ number, hexenuronic acid content, brightness, and viscosity. In addition, the lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) were fractionated and characterized with regard to the fractionation yield, lignin content, and carbohydrate composition. Moreover, the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were recorded and the thioacidolysis-gas chromatography and thioacidolysis-size exclusion chromatography analyses were performed. The LMS treatment resulted mainly in a slightly better delignification as manifested by a κ number (K no.) reduction of 0.8 units. The effects of the U treatment included delignification (1.4 κ units), hexenuronic acid removal (3 μ mol g-1), and improved pulp brightness (3.4 ISO units). The R treatment darkened the pulp (3 ISO units), whereas the bleaching of the R-pulp by subsequent LMS or U treatment enhanced the brightness (0.5 unit more) or delignification (0.3 unit more). The residual lignin in the pulp samples was present mainly as xylan-lignin. The Klason lignin content from the xylanlignin fraction decreased as the degree of delignification increased. The pulp darkening followed by the R treatment was interpreted as the result of the formation of condensed lignin structures, but these condensed lignins were substantially removed by the subsequent LMS or U treatment.
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