OPTIMIZING RESIDENCE TIME, TEMPERATURE AND SPEED TO IMPROVE TMP PULP PROPERTIES AND REDUCE ENERGY

A new process called RTS was evaluated on black spruce/balsam fir and radiata pine wood chips. RTS combines the optimum process conditions o f a low (R) residence time at a (T) temperature exceeding the glass tr ansition temperature of lignin and elevated disc (S) speed in the prim ary pressurized refiner. The spruce/fir RTS-TMP required significantly less specific energy and produced TMP with slightly improved strength properties and equivalent optical properties compared to conventional TMP pulp. Studies conducted on the radiata pine furnish indicated the physical pulp property/specific energy relationships could be adjuste d by manipulating the residence time.