The Effect of Enzymatic Deinking with Lipase on Offset Printed Newspaper Pulp Properties

presented researches during recent years, showed that using biotechnological base methods, specially using industrial enzymes for processing of waste papers is considered as a suitable approach to improve optical and mechanical properties of recycled papers. In this research deinking of offset printed waste newspapers using lipase enzyme was studied.
In this research enzymatic deinking of the recycled newspapers was investigated using lipase at three-time level as 60, 120 and 180 min, and three level of enzyme use as 3, 6 and 9 U/g O.D pulp at neutral pH value. Washing method was used to remove ink particles.
Comparison of the optical, physical and strength properties of the made handsheets showed that enzymatically deinking could enforce the strength properties (tear and burst strengths) in the related handsheets compared to those of the control sample. In addition, lipase-deinked pulps showed higher brightness and lower yellowness than the control sample. However, opacity of enzymatic treated pulps decreased with prolongation of treatment time compared to the control sample.
It can be generally concluded that enzymatic deinking using lipase is an appropriate method to improve the optical and strength properties of offset printed waste newsprints. It seems that increasing the amount of enzyme treatment in more than 9 units of enzyme per gram of dry pulp had a significant reduction in the opacity content of dry pulp compared to the control sample and Increasing the treatment time will also be effective in this reduction.