Low dosage sulfite pretreatment in a modern TMP-line

The effects of low dosage sulfite pretreatment combined with modern high consistency double disc refining were evaluated for production of thermomechanical pulp in a mill scale trial using Norway spruce wood at the Braviken paper mill (Holmen Paper AB, Sweden). Spruce wood chips were mechanically pretreated in an Impressafiner before impregnation with different dosages (0-1.2%) of sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) at pH 9. Approximately 23% of the added sulfite was converted to sulfonate groups in pulp, resulting in a sulfonate content of 0-0.28% (as Na2SO3). The low dosage sulfite addition increased tensile index, elongation, density, brightness and decreased shive content, light scattering and light absorption coefficients when compared at equal specific energy consumption (SEC). The increase in tensile index was proportional to dosage of sulfite. Further analyses showed that low dosage sulfite addition did not affect the distribution of the Bauer-McNett fractions nor the fibre length for pulps refined with equal SEC. However, the low dosage sulfite addition increased fibre delamination/internal fibrillation (D/IF). With the addition of 1.2% Na2SO3, it was possible to produce pulp with a tensile index of 47 Nm/g using ~320 kWh/bdt (~15%) lower refining energy, compared with pulps produced without sulfite addition.