SELECTION OF POPLAR CLONES FOR THERMOMECHANICAL PULPING

For the development of short-rotation coppices to produce wood for pul p and paper industries, 20 different poplar clones were tested for TMP manufacture at pilot plant scale, according to industrial conditions. Three stems per clone were selected from the same site, representing different wood growth. Wood characteristics, primary refiner specific energy, TMP physical and optical properties depend highly on the genot ype in the same site, sometimes twice as high. Moreover, photoyellowin g behavior of poplar clones vary from one clone to another. Some stati stical relationships between these properties are discussed. Also rela tionships with wood properties display the influence of cellulose cont ent and wood color.