BIOMECHANICAL PULPING USING WHITE-ROT FUNGUS IZU-154

This report examines the refining energy requirements and strength pro perties of coarse hardwood and softwood mechanical pulps after treatme nt with the white-rot fungus IZU-154. A 7-day treatment of coarse hard wood mechanical pulp with mycelia (no supplemental nutrients) reduced refining-energy requirements by about 112 to 213 and improved pulp str ength properties approximately twofold. A similar 10-14-day treatment of coarse softwood mechanical pulp reduced refining-energy requirement s by about 113 and improved pulp strength properties. Inoculation of t he softwood pulp with the whole culture (mycelia and the broth from th e pre-incubation) produced the same results after only 7 days.