Energy saving with fungal enzymatic treatment of industrial poplar alkaline peroxide pulps

An alkaline peroxide industrial pulp from poplar was treated with a mangane se peroxidase (MnP) from the hypersecretory strain of Phanerochaete chrysos porium 1-1512 after a second stage of refining. The enzymatic treatment cau sed an improvement in the pulp quality by inducing an enzymatic refining on to the fibers. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the enzymatic r efining was characterized by internal. and external fibrillation of the fib ers. Chemical modifications of lignin caused by MnP treatment facilitated t he post-refining stage before papersheet manufacture. All together the enzy matic treatment resulted in energy savings of 25% during beating. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.