Multistage fiber fractionation of softwood chemical pulp through smooth-hole screen cylinders and its effects on paper properties

Pressure screens are used to fractionate fibers on the basis of aspect ratio to obtain high value longfiber rejects and less desirable fines-rich accepts. Fiber fractionation is more practical and of maximum economic and commercial benefits when a mill can make use of all obtained fractions. We have demonstrated the potential of upgrading the reject fraction through a multistage fractionation process of a northern bleached softwood kraft pulp while isolating the remaining low-value pulp to be used as a raw material for a novel fiber-based product. The optimum operating conditions such as volumetric reject ratio, Rv; aperture velocity, Vs; and screen aperture size to carry out efficient fractionation were determined for the screens with 0.5-mm, 0.8-mm, and 1.0-mm apertures. This work shows that a high fines percentage in the accept fraction and increased fiber length in the reject fraction can be obtained when operating the pressure screen at a higher Rv and lower Vs using the screen cylinder with the small aperture size (0.5 mm). Feed and fractionated streams of pulp were used to study the effects on the physical properties of paper. Handsheets were made for strength properties of the unfractionated and fractionated pulps for comparisons. Significant improvements in the physical properties were observed after the removal of fines.