Investigating the effect of using oxygen delignification process on bagasse soda pulp properties

In conducting environmentally friendly processes for pulp production, first step is to reduce the effluent pollution load in each stage, and because the bleaching process is the most polluting stage in the production of pulp, improving it is one of the most important matters. The first act to ameliorate bleaching process of chemical pulps is the reduction of colored materials, mostly lignin, which enter to the bleaching section. Thus, the use of oxygen delignification stage after pulping and before bleaching process is the key stage in improving process and cleaner production. In this study, the effect of conducting oxygen-delignifying treatment by two kinds of machines, and under different process condition, on chemical, physical, mechanical and optical properties of bagasse soda pulp was investigated. The bagasse soda pulp with the kappa number of 20, 955 ml/g viscosity, and 37% ISO brightness was prepared from Pars Hafttapeh Company. Oxygen-delignifying treatments were carried out with three different temperatures of 90, 100 and 110°C, and two oxygen pressures of 5 and 7 bars, with and without magnesium sulfate addition, by two kinds of machines. Results indicated that oxygen delignification treatment led to intense decrease in pulp kappa number, while the pulp viscosity did not change. Results of measuring delignified pulp viscosity showed that the magnesium sulfate addition caused to prevention of pulp viscosity downfall. The increase in reaction temperature had a significant effect on the process improvement, but raising the oxygen pressure did not have a meaningful effect on the process. The pulp brightness was increased about 4-6%. And also, due to the need of shorter time in order to reach the reaction temperature in the Iranian made machine, pulp delignifying by this machine was a little lower than Quantum machine.