An approach to produce nano-ligno-cellulose from mechanical pulp fine materials

Mechanical pulping, also called high-yield pulping processes, are pulping systems where a great deal of effort is taken with regards to the fractionation in screens and cleaners as well as to optimize process conditions to refine the rejected fractions. The fraction that is rejected for further treatment can vary from 10 to 50% depending on process strategy and final product which can be from printing paper, writing paper, paperboard middle layer and tissue. In practice, it is common that approximately 10% of the pulp fibres and also a large part of the fines fraction have properties that are unsatisfactory in relation to the final products. Part of the less useful fines fraction could instead be used to produce nano-ligno-cellulose (NLC) of high value either in the main product or used for completely different purposes. In order to study the potential of this concept, treatment of thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) fines fractions were studied by means of homogenization. It seems possible to homogenize fine particles of thermo-mechanical pulp (1% w/v) to NLC. A corresponding fines fraction from bleached kraft pulp (BKP) was tested as a reference at 0.5% w/v concentration. This fines (BKP) fraction was very difficult to homogenize at a higher concentration (1% w/v). An explanation for this could be that the BKP fines have much higher cellulose content and lower charge level compared to the fines fraction of the hemicellulose and lignin-rich TMP. Fibre length-weighteddistribution plays a vital role with respect to both pressure fluctuations and clogging during treatment in the homogenizing equipment.