Main aim: Low energy processes for mechanical pulping. Aiming at target areas Wood raw material and Energy.

Work packages
WP 1.1 Chip pre-treatment
WP leader: Per Tomani, STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

The mechanical defibration and refining is enhanced by modifying the fibre wall before refining using chemical, enzymatical or mechanical pre-treatment. VTT has the main responsibility of the enzymatic pre-treatment and enzyme impregnation of chips. VTT has a close cooperation with CTP which works with refining of the enzymatically pre-treated chips. KCL will work with new chemical pre-treatments, where specific chemicals are used (possibly combined with mechanical treatment). KCL will also do work on the characterization of fibre surfaces and refining response of chemically treated fibres. UPM works with the use of wood-chips from pine and the characterization of the pine fibres. STFI-Packforsk works on leaching of wood chips before TMP and CTMP production. STFI-Packforsk will do work on a laboratory refiner as a basis for later decision regarding demonstration of chip leaching for TMP and/or CTMP production. Holmen is responsible for the demonstrations in mill scale of TMP applications. Stora Enso is responsible for the demonstration in mill scale of CTMP applications.

WP 1.2 New refining techniques
WP leader: Sari Liukkonen, KCL, Finland

An energy efficient chip refining technique will be developed by application of more controlled energy impacts into the wood and fibres and monitoring their effect on the fibre cell wall. KCL is work package leader and works with the response of morphologically different fibres to the refining impacts and the effect of raw material temperature, temperature history and moisture on the energy consumption and development of fibres. Different raw materials will also be tested. STFI-Packforsk is responsible for the development of a laboratory refining technique that is able to control the amount of shear and compression impacts independently. If successful, a new laboratory refiner will be built. UPM's role is to compare the response of pine and spruce to the shear and compression impacts using a laboratory equipment specially built to study the behaviour of fibre beds. Metso will be confirming positive results in pilot or mill scale.

TOP OF PAGE

Main aim: Reducing waste and increasing the use of recycled fibres. Aiming at target areas Waste and emissions, Energy, Wood raw material.

Work packages:
WP 2.1 Recovered paper sorting and quality control by sensor development
WP leader: Alain Cochaux, CTP, France

This WP consists in the development of sensors and instrumented procedures for quality control of recovered papers (RP) replacing sense based human control in order to induce new behaviour regarding RP and to contribute to secure recycling sustainability.

The following tools will be considered (adapted or developed): olfactometer sensor to the monitoring of RP bales, "newsprint/ magazines ratio" sensor, "brown grade quality" sensor (1.04/ 1.05 distinction by automating current visual practices), "unusable material" sensor (spectroscopic method) and "humidity" sensor based on NMR. The sensors will be tested at laboratory/semi-industrial scale or in mills and procedure for their utilisation for quality control will be proposed.

Procedure for the utilisation of the sensors for quality control will be proposed by CTP and PTS.

WP 2.2 Simplified and new deinking line structure
WP Leader: Bruno Carré, CTP, France

New concept for the deinking process will be proposed in order to simplify it with its resulting advantages: less losses, less energy consumption and better recycled pulp quality.

The work will consist of rationalizing the functions of the deinking pulping stage considering its various tasks (to defiber, to keep a certain size of the contaminants, to achieve a good ink detachment) and the development of new & innovative unit operations (new mechanical & chemical means to improve the ink detachment), new screening system aiming at reducing the number of screening stages, new flotation cell with a much lower energy consumption, develop means to improve the ink flotation selectivity by the development of a specific sensor and implementing special treatments to remove surfactants, which have a detrimental effect on flotation selectivity and testing the recombination of existing sub processes & unit operations in agreement with the new pulping strategy in order to simplify the process and improve selectivity. The new processes and equipment will be tested on small, medium and large mill scale.

WP 2.3 New technologies to reuse recycling rejects
WP leader: Arie Hooijmeier, KCPK, Netherlands

In order to reduce solid rejects generated by the recycling of recovered papers, innovative solutions will be investigated: new technologies able to produce "side products" by the reuse coarse rejects (market survey, technical specifications, relation between recovered paper collection systems and composition of rejects) and new technology aiming at recycling coating pigments and fillers for use in surface treatment of high quality graphic papers (separation techniques, grinding techniques, chemical and enzyme treatments to improve key properties, basic studies on coating colour rheology for the evaluation of coating technologies).

TOP OF PAGE

Main aim: Efficient fibres for papermaking. Aiming at target areas Wood raw material, Energy.

Work packages:
WP 3.1 New fractionation technologies
WP leader: Hannes Vomhoff, STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

STFI-Packforsk acts as the work package leader. STFI-Packforsk, CTP and TUD will evaluate different equipments for fibre fractionation. KTH will assist the experimental fractionation studies with CFD (computational fluid dynamics) models. In the initial stage, Voith and Holmen will check the industrial relevance of the performed research. In a later stage, Voith and Holmen will evaluate possible fractionation concept in pilot-scale.

The morphology of the fibres determines to a large extent the final properties of a paper sheet. Three novel fractionation ideas will be explored to improve the selectivity of separation with respect to fibre wall thickness and fibre flexibility. This would be a promising way to reduce the energy consumption when upgrading lower quality fibre fractions to meet the paper quality requirements at certain locations in the paper sheet, for example the surface. A novel hydrocyclone design, a rotary cleaner and a fractionating screen bar plate will be evaluated. In a first stage, the three processes will be evaluated using lab-scale studies. In a second stage, pilot-scale trials are planned. The participation of both an equipment supplier and a paper manufacturer will secure the industrial relevance of the research work.

WP 3.2 New fibre properties through enzymatic treatment
WP leader: Kari Edelmann, VTT, Finland

VTT acts as the work package leader. VTT performs studies on enzyme based treatments of virgin fibre and evaluates the applicability and papermaking potential of such fibres. KTH and A&F will focus on chemo-enzymatic treatments of virgin and recycled fibres. Smurfit evaluates the applicability at pilot-scale.

New enzymatic surface treatments will be applied for upgrading the properties of both virgin and recycled fibres. The effects will be evaluated in pilot-scale. Groups to be added to the fibre, the extent of fibre modification, required methods and process conditions will be determined. The papermaking potential of the treated fibres will be evaluated through measurements of drainage, retention and sheet properties. Dynamic tensile strength measurements will be used to evaluate the runnability properties of enzymatically treated fibres. Layering potential of treated fibre will be determined through studies with a novel lab-sheet former. Based on the results, the most promising treatment concept will be selected for pilot-scale evaluation.

TOP OF PAGE

Main aim: Stratified forming of paper. Aiming at target areas Wood raw material, Energy.

Work packages:
WP 4.1 Fundamental research
WP leader: Daniel Söderberg, KTH/STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

This work package will perform the fundamental research that is needed to get an industrially working new technique for layer separation.

KTH will perform fundamental studies of mixing process in two-phase flows (pulp fibre suspensions) using state-of-the-art measurement techniques.

STFI-Packforsk will assist KTH with knowledge regarding the characteristics of a pulp suspension.

WP 4.2 Stratified forming
WP leader: Daniel Söderberg, STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

This work package will perform a feasibility study of the process and in a later stage implement these results in pilot-scale. The research will be performed in lab-scale as well as in pilot-scale using the technique developed in WP 4.1.

STFI-Packforsk will investigate how the proposed technique could be implemented through pilot-scale research using the EuroFEX pilot paper machine. STFI-Packforsk will also perform lab-scale studies regarding the potential of the concept and the possible ways in which it can be implemented for different paper and board products.

Stora Enso will evaluate the results regarding the potential with respect to present production.

Voith will assist STFI-Packforsk in design criteria and headbox technology as well as feasibility analysis.

WP 4.3 Pilot-scale evaluation
WP leader: Daniel Söderberg, STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

This work package will evaluate industrial scenarios where stratified forming could be implemented. This will be performed in pilot-scale for both the paper manufacturing as well as the coating process. The resulting paper properties will be compared to existing products regarding quality measures such as formation, surface roughness and strengths

STFI-Packforsk will produce paper and board products using the new technique.

Voith will produce similar paper and board products made with state-of-the-art technology.

BTG will perform coating on the samples produced in order to assess the impact on coating performance.

SAICA will evaluate the results with respect to their production.

TOP OF PAGE

Main aim: Control of dissolved contraries in process waters to avoid disturbances.

Work packages:
WP 5.1: Additives
WP leader: Lars Sjöström, STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

• Studies on process water constituents, properties of detrimental substances (e.g. stickies, anionic trash) in the paper making process: efficiency test of promising additives

• Development of fixatives and trash catchers, based on sustainable raw material

• Demonstrations of applications of promising additives in pilot-scale at mill

WP 5.2: Control methods
WP leader: Maija Federley, KCL, Finland

• Development of new methods to characterise detrimental substances and thus reveal and avoid detrimental process states

• Feasibility study for a new sticky offline-measurement method

• Use of off-line/on-line process data for knowledge management

• Tests of the impact of mechanical pulping processes on the process water quality

• Identification of complementary process water measurements for control of detrimental phenomena in production of paper

• Support with process and analytic data by paper mills

WP 5.3: Separation techniques
WP leader: Udo Hamm, TUD, Germany

• Studies and assessment of current techniques in paper mills (microflotation, filtration, fixation etc.) for stickies and anionic trash removal

• Application and optimisation of separation techniques for microstickies and anionic trash removal in water loops

• Demonstration of stickies separation techniques in pilot-scale at mill

TOP OF PAGE

Main aim: Evaluation and assessment of Subproject results from a sustainability, socio-economic and total process systems point of view.

Work packages:
WP 6.1 Evaluation of the direct goals in mill wide scale using process simulations
WP leader: Jussi Manninen, VTT, Finland

The direct goals of the project will be evaluated by using simulation models of typical reference paper mills. Total pulp and paper mill models are used, where the existing unit process/process department/process solutions are replaced with respective ECOTARGET unit processes. VTT is in charge of the total model, STFI-Packforsk, PTS and CTP will provide the unit process models.

WP 6.2 Project synthesis
WP leader: Tiina Pajula, KCL, Finland

The new technology developed in other parts of ECOTARGET will be evaluated in WP 6.2 from environmental and socio-economic viewpoint. Especially environmental evaluation in mill scale is dependent on results produced by WP 6.1. Evaluation of new technologies in mill scale is done by using life-cycle thinking and suitable environmental methodologies. However, assessment of the effects of the new process concepts in present and future business environments are studied also by using societal and economical indicators based on industrial decision maker point-of-view. Linking environmental aspects with socio-economic aspects is one of the targets of the study. Research is applying both life-cycle and business scenario methodology.

WP 6.3 Regulations and standards
WP leader: Eva Jansson, STFI-Packforsk, Sweden

In the beginning of the project, this workpackage supports the rest of the project in the selection of relevant standardized test methods. This is important in order to have comparable results. In the later stage of the project, the objective is to identify and look into relevant existing EU directives and regulations on EU level affecting the possibilities for taking ECOTARGET technology into use.

TOP OF PAGE

©STFI-Packforsk AB 2004 | Contact: webmaster@stfi.se | Last updated: 2008-06-30