Investigating the effect of refining on cellulase enzyme activity on the properties of OCC pulp

As the consumption of OCC pulp is increasing globally, practical studies are needed to reduce energy consumption and improve the quality of this pulp using enzymatic treatments. In this study, the effect of refining on cellulase enzyme performance on OCC pulp properties was investigated. OCC pulp with 4% consistency, 50 ° C constant temperature, 1 hour duration and 4-5.5: pH with cellulase enzyme at three levels of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 percentages (based on dry weight of pulp) were pretreated. Pulp freeness and hand sheet strength properties were measured according to TAPPI standard codes. The results showed that the enzymatic treatment of cellulase increased pulp freeness and improved paper strength properties and this effect was more in unrefined OCC pulps than refined OCC pulps. Overall, enzymatic cellulase treatment can reduce pulp refining and reduce energy consumption and improve OCC pulp quality.