Increased pulp yield by prolonged impregnation in softwood kraft pulping

The effect on kraft cooking proceeded by an impregnation stage performed at 130 degrees C for 30 min was compared to kraft cooking following prolonged impregnation at 105 degrees C for 60-120 min. The alkali consumed during impregnation varied depending on the temperature and time of the impregnation stage. In order to study the impact of the impregnation stage on the subsequent kraft cook, the initial concentration of effective alkali was adjusted to be initially the same in all cooks before cooking for 180-290 min. The alkali consumed in the impregnation stage affected the alkali profile of the cooking stage. The more alkali consumed in impregnation, the lower the demand in cooking. Higher alkali consumption in the impregnation stage also led to faster delignification in the cooking stage. Prolonged impregnation resulted in 1-1.5 percentage points higher yield compared to the reference case. The yield increment was due to a higher cellulose retention. Although the impregnation time was prolonged from 30 min up to 2 h, the higher delignification rate and higher yield only decreased the production rate with 11% compared to the reference.