Mechanical Pulps
- The emergence of the Fourdrinier paper machine in 1799 spurred research and development into alternatives to linter fibers, the main raw material used until then in the manual production of paper and insufficient to feed these revolutionary giants.
- During the first half of the 20th century the pulp fibers were mainly sourced from softwoods (conifers) like pine and spruce.
- During the second half of the 20th century pulp fibers sourced from hardwoods (deciduous) like eucalyptus and birch appeared and transformed worldwide the pulp and paper industries.
- Main production processes of wood pulp are mechanical pulping and chemical pulping, being the second the dominant process nowadays.
- At the other hand, mechanical pulping has a reduced environmental impact, a great advantage in the 21st century, because it replaces the extensive use of chemicals for mechanical force for converting wood chips into pulp fibers
- Mechanical pulps do also have high pulp yield, making it cost-effective, and enable the production of papers with desirable printing qualities like high ink absorbency, opacity, and bulk.
- Main mechanical pulping processes are Groundwood (GW), whereas wood chips are grounded into pulp, Thermomechanical Process (TMP) whereas wood chips are pre-treated with steam before grinding and Chemi-Thermomechanical Process (CTMP), whereas wood chips are pre-treated with heat, steam, and chemicals before refining.
Product for this application : MORFI OL
- MorFi OL is the perfect tool for on-line quick, accurate and objective assessment of pulp fiber quality, being an unequable testing solution for several key areas :
- control of the refiners of mechanical pulps, where morphological analysis of the brown stock provides in real time accurate data for continuous adjustment of refining parameters accordingly to the natural variations of wood supplies, preventing losses on fiber strength due to excessive refining and preventing the occurrence of shives due to changes in wood chips quality
- control of pulp fiber processing in pulp furnish preparation for the paper machine, such as refining, aiming for higher fiber quality output with lower energy and for higher lifetime of key production materials, such as refining discs
- The entire fibrous population is analysed in detail from a pulp furnish sample and accurately characterized by MorFi within minutes, bringing a significative and useful package of morphological results – fiber length, width, coarseness, fibrillation, curl, kink and wall thickness as well further fibrous elements like fines, shives and vessels
- MorFi OL is available also as laboratory version, small, offline and perfect for R&D of mechanical pulps, providing identical test results to MorFi OL, ensuring objective upscaling to the process of results achieved in the laboratory
Key Features & Highlights
- Automatic sampling – MorFi OL controls up to eight remote pulp samplers, up to 200 m distances, enabling automatic 24/7 operation and matching process control requirements
- Automatic dilution and cleaning – MorFi OL ensures consistent sample preparation, improved repeatability, and easier operator workflow
- Automatic and Fast analysis – MorFi OL completes one analysis every seven minutes
- Advanced analytics – PCA and statistical tools for process stability in option
- Data export – PDF & Excel® reports, OPC/DCS connectivity in option
- Rugged – MorFi OL is built in a stainless steel cabinet for direct installation in production areas and its rugged and consecrated design requires minimal maintenance
In Summary
Fiber Morphology, fundamental for R&D of pulp and pulp processing, became mainstream in the pulp and paper industries in the 21st century, thanks to unmatched accuracy, repeatability, and ease of use modern on-line fiber analyzers, which provide quickly and accurately a common analytical language between Process, Quality Control and R&D teams — enabling dynamic integration in the development, understanding and optimization of fibrous materials.