Biosulfite pulping of Eucalyptus grandis wood chips pretreated with ten str
ains of selected white-rot fungi was investigated. The biopulping efficienc
y was evaluated based on fungal pretreatment time (5, 7 and 10 days) and pr
operties of biosulfite pulp (pulp yield, kappa number, brightness, alkali s
olubility S-10 and S-18, and viscosity) in comparison to the controls. Pret
reatment of eucalyptus wood chips with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora SS-3 in
the absence of an additional carbon source for 10 days resulted in a substa
ntial decrease in kappa number (by 29%) and increase in brightness (by 12%)
. On the other hand 5% of the pulp yield was lost, and both viscosity and a
lkali solubility (S-10 and S-18) were retained at levels comparable to the
control. When the fungal incubation time was reduced to 5 days, a 5% reduct
ion of kappa number, 11% increase in brightness and no loss of pulp yield w
as observed. C. subvermispora SS-3 was therefore selected for further optim
ization studies of biosulfite pulping for dissolving pulp-directed manufact
ure. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.