<p>The appearance and design of a package are key properties to attract and to focus the attention of a customer. Print quality contributes to a great degree to achieve these requirements. Most critical perceived in terms of quality are print defects like mottling, gloss and stripiness, which all appear in the printing of corrugated board. Stripiness is especially critical because it is a defect directly caused by the corrugated board construction. A further cause can be generated by the production process of corrugated board. Pre-studies by Odeberg Glasenapp (2004) revealed a difference in surface micro-roughness between the regions on the peak line of the liner and the regions in the valley between two peaks of the corrugation. This knowledge was the basis for the work described in this thesis.</p><p>In a first stage, laboratory trials were conducted with sets of coated and uncoated samples of various grammages. The trial was set-up in order to simulate the conditions in the corrugator as closely as possible. In the evaluations, it was found out that the settings were too high. For that reason, the coated samples were influenced to a too high degree and needed to be excluded from further evaluations. With the uncoated samples, on the other hand, a change in micro surface roughness was detectable. The roughness is decreased on the peaks and the gloss appearance was the conclusion. The analysis of the printed samples focused on shifts in colour and print density. It is unclear if both are affected only surface roughness changes and/or by the typical corrugated board effect of washboarding.</p><p>A full-scale test was performed in order to confirm the results of the laboratory test. A test series was chosen with coated and uncoated outer liners. Contrary to the lab-test results, the uncoated grades showed no surface roughness changes. Instead, the coated samples were affected to a great extent. The changes in surface roughness and gloss appearance were similar to the lab-test. This confirms that the lab-test samples were exposed to heat, pressure and shear to a too high degree. The print analysis of the full-scale test did not agree with the laboratory test. Gloss lines were visually detectable, but they were difficult to measure. A reason could be that the ink is capable on forming an ink film layer on top of the surface of the paper. This would cover the micro roughness of the matt parts thereby creating an almost homogeneous glossy appearance.</p>

<p>This thesis presents a method of measuring the distribution of fiber bonding ability in mechanical pulp furnishes. The method is intended for industrial use, where today only average values are used to describe fiber bonding ability, despite the differences in morphology of the fibers entering the mill. Fiber bonding ability in this paper refers to the mechanical fiber’s flexibility and ability to form large contact areas to other fibers, characteristics required for good paper surfaces and strength.</p><p> </p><p>Five mechanical pulps (Pulps A-E), all produced in different processes from Norway spruce (<em>Picea Abies)</em> were fractionated in hydrocyclones with respect to the fiber bonding ability. Five streams were formed from the hydrocyclone fractionation, Streams 1-5. Each stream plus the feed (Stream 0) was fractionated according to fiber length in a Bauer McNett classifier to compare the fibers at equal fiber lengths (Bauer McNett screens 16, 30, 50, and 100 mesh were used).</p><p> </p><p>Stream 1 was found to have the highest fiber bonding ability, evaluated as tensile strength and apparent density of long fiber laboratory sheets. External fibrillation and collapse resistance index measured in FiberLab^TM, an optical measurement device, also showed this result. Stream 5 was found to have the lowest fiber bonding ability, with a consecutively falling scale between Stream 1 and Stream 5. The results from acoustic emission measurements and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy analysis concluded the same pattern. The amount of fibers in each hydrocyclone stream was also regarded as a measure of the fibers’ bonding ability in each pulp.</p><p> </p><p>The equation for predicted Bonding Indicator (BIN) was calculated by combining, through linear regression, the collapse resistance index and external fibrillation of the P16/R30 fractions for Pulps A and B. Predicted Bonding Indicator was found to correlate well with measured tensile strength. The BIN-equation was then applied also to the data for Pulps C-E, P16/R30, and Pulp A-E, P30/R50, and predicted Bonding Indicator showed good correlations with tensile strength also for these fibers.</p><p> </p><p>From the fiber raw data measured by the FiberLab^TM instrument, the BIN-equation was used for each individual fiber. This made it possible to calculate a BIN-distribution of the fibers, that is, a distribution of fiber bonding ability.</p><p> </p><p>The thesis also shows how the BIN-distributions of fibers can be derived from FiberLab^TM measurements of the entire pulp without mechanically separating the fibers by length first, for example in a Bauer McNett classifier. This is of great importance, as the method is intended for industrial use, and possibly as an online-method. Hopefully, the BIN-method will become a useful tool for process evaluations and optimizations in the future.</p> / <p>Den här studien presenterar en metod för att mäta fördelning av fiberbindning i mekaniska massor. Metoden hoppas kunna användas industriellt, där i dagsläget enbart medelvärden används för att mäta fiberbindnings-fördelning, trots råvarans (fibrernas) morfologiska skillnader.</p><p> </p><p>Fem mekaniska massor (Massa A-E) från olika massaprocesser men från samma råvara, norsk gran (<em>Picea Abies</em>), har fraktionerats i hydrocykloner med avseende på fiberbindningsförmåga. Från hydrocyklon-fraktioneringen bildades fem strömmar, Ström 1-5. Varje ström plus injektet (Ström 0) fraktionerades också med avseende på fiberlängd i en Bauer McNett för att kunna jämföra fibrerna vid samma fiberlängd (Bauer McNett silplåtarna 16, 30, 50 och 100 mesh användes).</p><p> </p><p>Fiberbindingsförmåga i den här studien härrör till fiberns flexibilitet och förmåga att skapa stora kontaktytor med andra fibrer, vilket bidrar till papprets yt- och styrkeegenskaper.</p><p> </p><p>Ström 1 visade sig ha den högsta fiberbindningsförmågan, utvärderat som dragstyrka och densitet av långfiberark, samt yttre fibrillering och kollaps resistans index mätt i den optiska analysatorn FiberLab^TM. Akustisk emission och tvärsnittsanalyser visade samma resultat. Ström 5 visade sig ha den lägsta fiberbindningsförmågan, med en avtagande skala från Ström 1 till Ström 5. Andelen fibrer från injektet som gick ut med varje hydrocyklon-ström ansågs också vara ett mått på fibrernas bindningsförmåga i varje massa.</p><p> </p><p>Genom att kombinera fiberegenskaperna kollaps resistans och yttre fibrillering från den optiska mätningen på varje fiber genom linjär regression, kunde Bindnings Indikator (BIN) predikteras. Medelvärdet av Bindnings Indikator för varje hydrocyklon-ström korrelerar med dragstyrka för långfiber-labark.</p><p> </p><p>Det visade sig att predikterad Bindnings Indikator inte bara fungerade för Massa A och Massa B P16/R30 fraktionen, som var de fraktioner som användes i den linjära regressionen, utan även för Massa C-E, P16/R30, och Massa A-E P30/R50 som också visade goda korrelationer med långfiber-dragstyrka när de sattes in i BIN-formeln.</p><p> </p><p>BIN-formeln användes sedan för varje enskild fiber, i den rådata som levererats från FiberLab^TM. Detta gjorde det möjligt att få en BIN-distribution av fibrerna, d.v.s. en fördelning av fiberbindningsförmåga.</p><p> </p><p>Den här rapporten visar också hur det går att få BIN-distributioner också från mätningar på hela massan, för valbara fiberlängder, utan att först mekaniskt separera massan efter fiberlängd. Det är viktigt, då metoden är tänkt att användas som en industriell metod, och eventuellt som en online-metod. Förhoppningsvis kommer BIN-metoden att bli ett användbart verktyg för processutveckling- och optimering i framtiden.</p> / FSCN – Fibre Science and Communication Network / Bonding ability distribution of fibers in mechanical pulp furnishes

<p>The potential of using acid hydrogen peroxide under Fenton conditions to lower the electrical energy consumed during the production of Black spruce (Picea mariana) thermomechanical pulp (TMP) was investigated. The chemical system, which consisted of ferrous sulphate, hydrogen peroxide and optionally an enhancer (3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or oxalic acid/sodium oxalate), was evaluated as an inter-stage treatment where the primary refiner was used as a mixer. The produced TMPs were thoroughly characterised in order to explain the effect of the chemical system on fibre development and to be able to propose a mechanism for the impact on refining energy reduction. The possibility to improve the optical properties by washing, chelating and sodium dithionite or hydrogen peroxide bleaching the treated pulps was evaluated.</p><p> </p><p>The results obtained in a pilot plant trial show that it is possible to significantly reduce the comparative specific energy consumption by approximately 20% and 35% at a freeness value of 100 ml CSF or a tensile index of 45 Nm/g by using 1% and 2% hydrogen peroxide respectively. The energy reduction is obtained without any substantial change in the fractional composition of the pulp, though tear strength is slightly reduced, as are brightness and pulp yield. No major differences between the reference pulp and the chemically treated pulps were found with respect to fibre length, width or cross-sectional dimensions. However, the acid hydrogen peroxide-treated pulps tend to have more collapsed fibres, higher flexibility, a larger specific surface area and a lower coarseness value. The yield loss accompanying the treatment is mainly a consequence of degraded hemicelluloses. It was also found that the total charge of the chemically treated pulps is higher compared to the reference pulps, something that may have influenced the softening behaviour of the fibre wall.</p><p> </p><p>A washing or chelating procedure can reduce the metal ion content of the chemically treated TMPs considerably. The amount of iron can be further reduced to a level similar to that of untreated pulps by performing a reducing agent-assisted chelating stage (QY) with dithionite. The discoloration cannot, however, be completely eliminated. The brightness decrease of the treated pulps is thus not only caused by higher iron content in the pulp, but is also dependent on the type of iron compound and/or other coloured compounds connected with the acid hydrogen peroxide treatment. Oxidative bleaching with hydrogen peroxide (P) is more effective than reductive bleaching with sodium dithionite in regaining the brightness lost during the energy reductive treatment. Using a QY P sequence, a hydrogen peroxide charge of 3.8% was needed to reach an ISO brightness of 75% for the chemically treated pulps. The corresponding hydrogen peroxide charge for the untreated TMP reference was 2.5%.</p><p> </p><p>The radicals generated in the Fenton reaction will probably attack and weaken/soften the available outer fibre wall layers. This could facilitate fibre development and consequently lower the electrical energy demand for a certain degree of refinement.</p>

<p>Neutralsulfitkokning av björk möjliggör ett högt utbyte av hemicellulosa, vilket bidrar positivt till flutingens egenskaper och minskar vedkostnaden. Neutralsulfitkoket ska avbrytas när delignifieringen nått tillräckligt långt för att veden ska kunna defibreras skonsamt med en rimlig energiinsats, men innan nedbrytningen av hemicellulosa hunnit accelerera. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka utbytets och malningens inverkan på NSSC-massans egenskaper.</p><p>En laboratoriestudie genomfördes där massan kokades till olika utbyten och maldes vid olika insatser. Resultatet av den studien användes sedan för att ställa om kokaren och raffinörerna på lämpligt sätt vid fabriksförsöken. Massaprover togs ut efter det andra kvarnsteget och skickades för analys. De mest väsentliga egenskaperna för fluting testades genom CCT (Corrugated Crush Test), CMT (Concora Medium Test) och SCT (Short Span Compression test) men övriga konventionella egenskaper testades likväl. En avgörande egenskap för fluting är också dess krypstyvhet som undersöktes på laboratorie genom isokrona kryptester. För att få en djupare förståelse för NSSC-massans egenskaper samt kokningens och malningens inverkan på dessa utfördes även fiberkaraktärisering.</p><p>Resultatet visar att styrkan på NSSC-massan kan påverkas genom att variera både utbytet och effekten i raffinörerna. För att åstadkomma en signifikant styrkeökning krävs ett lågt utbyte tillsammans med en hög effekt i raffinörerna. Kraftiga ändringar av dessa parametrar leder dessvärre till att papperets egenskaper förändras i den grad att körbarheten på maskin kan påverkas. Studien visar även att fluting som uppfyller dagens riktvärden kan framställas kostnadseffektivt genom ett högt utbyte i kokaren och en hög insats i raffinörerna. Samtidigt erhålls då en ljusare massa, vilket kan vara betydande i vissa fall. Krypmätningarna visar samtidigt att malningen i positiv bemärkelse påverkar krypstyvheten medan utbytets inverkan är mer svårtolkat. Ett allt för högt utbyte verkar dock vara negativt ur krypstyvhetssynpunkt.</p> / <p>Neutral sulphite cooking of birch enables a high yield of hemicelluloses. This contributes positively to the properties of the flute, reduces the amount of wood needed and hence the cost. The neutral sulphite cook is to be terminated when the delignification has gone sufficiently far so that the wood can be refined mercifully with a reasonable energy input, but before the delignification has gone so far that the degradation of hemicelluloses has started to accelerate. The objective with this thesis was to examine how yield and refining affects the properties of the NSSC pulp.</p><p>A laboratory study was performed where the pulp was cooked to different yields and then beaten with different energy inputs. The results from this study were then used to determine how to set the boiler and the refiners appropriately in the paper mill trials. Pulp samples were collected after the second refiner and were then sent for analysis. The most important properties for flute were tested through CCT (Corrugated Crush Test), CMT (Concora Medium Test) and SCT (Short Span Compression test). More conventional properties were tested as well. Another important property for flute, the creep resistance, was tested in the laboratory through isochronous creep tests. To get a deeper understanding of the properties of NSSC-pulp, along with the effects of cooking and refining, fiber characterization was also performed.The results indicate that it is possible to affect the strength properties on the NSSC pulp by varying both the yield and the energy input in the refiners. To accomplish a large increase in strength, a relatively low yield is needed, along with increased refining. Large changes of those parameters may unfortunately lead to changes in paper properties in such a way that the runability on the paper machine is affected.</p><p>The results also indicate that it is possible to manufacture flute in a more cost efficient way by lowering the H-factor in the boiler while increasing the degree of refining, still keeping the strength properties above the critical values.A pulp with a higher brightness is also acquired when running the mill this way, which can be important in some aspects. The creep studies indicate that increased refining has a positive effect on the creep resistance. It is harder to make conclusions about the impact of yield, but it seems as though all too high yields affects the creep resistance negatively.</p>

This thesis presents a method of measuring the distribution of fiber bonding ability in mechanical pulp furnishes. The method is intended for industrial use, where today only average values are used to describe fiber bonding ability, despite the differences in morphology of the fibers entering the mill. Fiber bonding ability in this paper refers to the mechanical fiber’s flexibility and ability to form large contact areas to other fibers, characteristics required for good paper surfaces and strength.   Five mechanical pulps (Pulps A-E), all produced in different processes from Norway spruce (Picea Abies) were fractionated in hydrocyclones with respect to the fiber bonding ability. Five streams were formed from the hydrocyclone fractionation, Streams 1-5. Each stream plus the feed (Stream 0) was fractionated according to fiber length in a Bauer McNett classifier to compare the fibers at equal fiber lengths (Bauer McNett screens 16, 30, 50, and 100 mesh were used).   Stream 1 was found to have the highest fiber bonding ability, evaluated as tensile strength and apparent density of long fiber laboratory sheets. External fibrillation and collapse resistance index measured in FiberLabTM, an optical measurement device, also showed this result. Stream 5 was found to have the lowest fiber bonding ability, with a consecutively falling scale between Stream 1 and Stream 5. The results from acoustic emission measurements and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy analysis concluded the same pattern. The amount of fibers in each hydrocyclone stream was also regarded as a measure of the fibers’ bonding ability in each pulp.   The equation for predicted Bonding Indicator (BIN) was calculated by combining, through linear regression, the collapse resistance index and external fibrillation of the P16/R30 fractions for Pulps A and B. Predicted Bonding Indicator was found to correlate well with measured tensile strength. The BIN-equation was then applied also to the data for Pulps C-E, P16/R30, and Pulp A-E, P30/R50, and predicted Bonding Indicator showed good correlations with tensile strength also for these fibers.   From the fiber raw data measured by the FiberLabTM instrument, the BIN-equation was used for each individual fiber. This made it possible to calculate a BIN-distribution of the fibers, that is, a distribution of fiber bonding ability.   The thesis also shows how the BIN-distributions of fibers can be derived from FiberLabTM measurements of the entire pulp without mechanically separating the fibers by length first, for example in a Bauer McNett classifier. This is of great importance, as the method is intended for industrial use, and possibly as an online-method. Hopefully, the BIN-method will become a useful tool for process evaluations and optimizations in the future. / Den här studien presenterar en metod för att mäta fördelning av fiberbindning i mekaniska massor. Metoden hoppas kunna användas industriellt, där i dagsläget enbart medelvärden används för att mäta fiberbindnings-fördelning, trots råvarans (fibrernas) morfologiska skillnader.   Fem mekaniska massor (Massa A-E) från olika massaprocesser men från samma råvara, norsk gran (Picea Abies), har fraktionerats i hydrocykloner med avseende på fiberbindningsförmåga. Från hydrocyklon-fraktioneringen bildades fem strömmar, Ström 1-5. Varje ström plus injektet (Ström 0) fraktionerades också med avseende på fiberlängd i en Bauer McNett för att kunna jämföra fibrerna vid samma fiberlängd (Bauer McNett silplåtarna 16, 30, 50 och 100 mesh användes).   Fiberbindingsförmåga i den här studien härrör till fiberns flexibilitet och förmåga att skapa stora kontaktytor med andra fibrer, vilket bidrar till papprets yt- och styrkeegenskaper.   Ström 1 visade sig ha den högsta fiberbindningsförmågan, utvärderat som dragstyrka och densitet av långfiberark, samt yttre fibrillering och kollaps resistans index mätt i den optiska analysatorn FiberLabTM. Akustisk emission och tvärsnittsanalyser visade samma resultat. Ström 5 visade sig ha den lägsta fiberbindningsförmågan, med en avtagande skala från Ström 1 till Ström 5. Andelen fibrer från injektet som gick ut med varje hydrocyklon-ström ansågs också vara ett mått på fibrernas bindningsförmåga i varje massa.   Genom att kombinera fiberegenskaperna kollaps resistans och yttre fibrillering från den optiska mätningen på varje fiber genom linjär regression, kunde Bindnings Indikator (BIN) predikteras. Medelvärdet av Bindnings Indikator för varje hydrocyklon-ström korrelerar med dragstyrka för långfiber-labark.   Det visade sig att predikterad Bindnings Indikator inte bara fungerade för Massa A och Massa B P16/R30 fraktionen, som var de fraktioner som användes i den linjära regressionen, utan även för Massa C-E, P16/R30, och Massa A-E P30/R50 som också visade goda korrelationer med långfiber-dragstyrka när de sattes in i BIN-formeln.   BIN-formeln användes sedan för varje enskild fiber, i den rådata som levererats från FiberLabTM. Detta gjorde det möjligt att få en BIN-distribution av fibrerna, d.v.s. en fördelning av fiberbindningsförmåga.   Den här rapporten visar också hur det går att få BIN-distributioner också från mätningar på hela massan, för valbara fiberlängder, utan att först mekaniskt separera massan efter fiberlängd. Det är viktigt, då metoden är tänkt att användas som en industriell metod, och eventuellt som en online-metod. Förhoppningsvis kommer BIN-metoden att bli ett användbart verktyg för processutveckling- och optimering i framtiden. / FSCN – Fibre Science and Communication Network / Bonding ability distribution of fibers in mechanical pulp furnishes

The potential of using acid hydrogen peroxide under Fenton conditions to lower the electrical energy consumed during the production of Black spruce (Picea mariana) thermomechanical pulp (TMP) was investigated. The chemical system, which consisted of ferrous sulphate, hydrogen peroxide and optionally an enhancer (3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or oxalic acid/sodium oxalate), was evaluated as an inter-stage treatment where the primary refiner was used as a mixer. The produced TMPs were thoroughly characterised in order to explain the effect of the chemical system on fibre development and to be able to propose a mechanism for the impact on refining energy reduction. The possibility to improve the optical properties by washing, chelating and sodium dithionite or hydrogen peroxide bleaching the treated pulps was evaluated.   The results obtained in a pilot plant trial show that it is possible to significantly reduce the comparative specific energy consumption by approximately 20% and 35% at a freeness value of 100 ml CSF or a tensile index of 45 Nm/g by using 1% and 2% hydrogen peroxide respectively. The energy reduction is obtained without any substantial change in the fractional composition of the pulp, though tear strength is slightly reduced, as are brightness and pulp yield. No major differences between the reference pulp and the chemically treated pulps were found with respect to fibre length, width or cross-sectional dimensions. However, the acid hydrogen peroxide-treated pulps tend to have more collapsed fibres, higher flexibility, a larger specific surface area and a lower coarseness value. The yield loss accompanying the treatment is mainly a consequence of degraded hemicelluloses. It was also found that the total charge of the chemically treated pulps is higher compared to the reference pulps, something that may have influenced the softening behaviour of the fibre wall.   A washing or chelating procedure can reduce the metal ion content of the chemically treated TMPs considerably. The amount of iron can be further reduced to a level similar to that of untreated pulps by performing a reducing agent-assisted chelating stage (QY) with dithionite. The discoloration cannot, however, be completely eliminated. The brightness decrease of the treated pulps is thus not only caused by higher iron content in the pulp, but is also dependent on the type of iron compound and/or other coloured compounds connected with the acid hydrogen peroxide treatment. Oxidative bleaching with hydrogen peroxide (P) is more effective than reductive bleaching with sodium dithionite in regaining the brightness lost during the energy reductive treatment. Using a QY P sequence, a hydrogen peroxide charge of 3.8% was needed to reach an ISO brightness of 75% for the chemically treated pulps. The corresponding hydrogen peroxide charge for the untreated TMP reference was 2.5%.   The radicals generated in the Fenton reaction will probably attack and weaken/soften the available outer fibre wall layers. This could facilitate fibre development and consequently lower the electrical energy demand for a certain degree of refinement.

Neutralsulfitkokning av björk möjliggör ett högt utbyte av hemicellulosa, vilket bidrar positivt till flutingens egenskaper och minskar vedkostnaden. Neutralsulfitkoket ska avbrytas när delignifieringen nått tillräckligt långt för att veden ska kunna defibreras skonsamt med en rimlig energiinsats, men innan nedbrytningen av hemicellulosa hunnit accelerera. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka utbytets och malningens inverkan på NSSC-massans egenskaper. En laboratoriestudie genomfördes där massan kokades till olika utbyten och maldes vid olika insatser. Resultatet av den studien användes sedan för att ställa om kokaren och raffinörerna på lämpligt sätt vid fabriksförsöken. Massaprover togs ut efter det andra kvarnsteget och skickades för analys. De mest väsentliga egenskaperna för fluting testades genom CCT (Corrugated Crush Test), CMT (Concora Medium Test) och SCT (Short Span Compression test) men övriga konventionella egenskaper testades likväl. En avgörande egenskap för fluting är också dess krypstyvhet som undersöktes på laboratorie genom isokrona kryptester. För att få en djupare förståelse för NSSC-massans egenskaper samt kokningens och malningens inverkan på dessa utfördes även fiberkaraktärisering. Resultatet visar att styrkan på NSSC-massan kan påverkas genom att variera både utbytet och effekten i raffinörerna. För att åstadkomma en signifikant styrkeökning krävs ett lågt utbyte tillsammans med en hög effekt i raffinörerna. Kraftiga ändringar av dessa parametrar leder dessvärre till att papperets egenskaper förändras i den grad att körbarheten på maskin kan påverkas. Studien visar även att fluting som uppfyller dagens riktvärden kan framställas kostnadseffektivt genom ett högt utbyte i kokaren och en hög insats i raffinörerna. Samtidigt erhålls då en ljusare massa, vilket kan vara betydande i vissa fall. Krypmätningarna visar samtidigt att malningen i positiv bemärkelse påverkar krypstyvheten medan utbytets inverkan är mer svårtolkat. Ett allt för högt utbyte verkar dock vara negativt ur krypstyvhetssynpunkt. / Neutral sulphite cooking of birch enables a high yield of hemicelluloses. This contributes positively to the properties of the flute, reduces the amount of wood needed and hence the cost. The neutral sulphite cook is to be terminated when the delignification has gone sufficiently far so that the wood can be refined mercifully with a reasonable energy input, but before the delignification has gone so far that the degradation of hemicelluloses has started to accelerate. The objective with this thesis was to examine how yield and refining affects the properties of the NSSC pulp. A laboratory study was performed where the pulp was cooked to different yields and then beaten with different energy inputs. The results from this study were then used to determine how to set the boiler and the refiners appropriately in the paper mill trials. Pulp samples were collected after the second refiner and were then sent for analysis. The most important properties for flute were tested through CCT (Corrugated Crush Test), CMT (Concora Medium Test) and SCT (Short Span Compression test). More conventional properties were tested as well. Another important property for flute, the creep resistance, was tested in the laboratory through isochronous creep tests. To get a deeper understanding of the properties of NSSC-pulp, along with the effects of cooking and refining, fiber characterization was also performed.The results indicate that it is possible to affect the strength properties on the NSSC pulp by varying both the yield and the energy input in the refiners. To accomplish a large increase in strength, a relatively low yield is needed, along with increased refining. Large changes of those parameters may unfortunately lead to changes in paper properties in such a way that the runability on the paper machine is affected. The results also indicate that it is possible to manufacture flute in a more cost efficient way by lowering the H-factor in the boiler while increasing the degree of refining, still keeping the strength properties above the critical values.A pulp with a higher brightness is also acquired when running the mill this way, which can be important in some aspects. The creep studies indicate that increased refining has a positive effect on the creep resistance. It is harder to make conclusions about the impact of yield, but it seems as though all too high yields affects the creep resistance negatively.

<p>Ved består huvudsakligen av tre typer av polymerer, cellulosa, hemicellulosa och lignin. Lignin bildas i naturen genom enzymatiskt initierad oxidativ koppling av tre olika typer av fenylpropan-enheter. Dessa bygger genom olika kol-kol- och kol-syre-bindningar upp en amorf tredimensionell polymer. När kemisk massa tillverkas bryts lignin ner och löses ut i kokluten. Luten innehåller de förbrukade kokkemikalierna och bränns generellt i en sodapanna för att regenerera kemikalierna och producera ånga. Sodapannan är emellertid dyr. Därför har den blivit produktionsbegränsande på många massabruk. Att avlägsna en del av ligninet från avluten vore därför önskvärt och att finna ekonomiskt intressanta produkter baserade på lignin från svartlut är därför ett viktigt forskningsområde .</p><p>Ett lämpligt område för ligninprodukter vore som tillsatts i oblekt massa. Oblekt massa används till stor del för tillverkning av kraftliner, topp- och bottenskikten på wellpapp. När lådor av wellpapp lagras i containrar som färdas över haven, förändras den relativa luftfuktigheten. Detta gör att lådorna kollapsar lättare än om de skulle ha lagrats vid konstant luftfuktighet, även en hög sådan. Detta är på grund av det så kallade mekanosorptiva- eller accelererade krypfenomenet. Genom tillsatts av våtstyrkemedel till kraftliner eller behandla den med hydrofoba ämnen, finns indikatoner på att mekanosorptiva effekten skulle kunna minska.</p><p>För att försöka minska den effekten har ett lågmolekylärt kraftlignin, som utvunnits med hjälp av tvärsflödesfiltrering av svartlut och svavelsyrafällning, använts. Genom derivatisering av detta lignin med linolja erhölls ett hydrofobt ligninderivat som uppvisar strukturella likheter med biopolymeren suberin. När detta suberinlika ligninderivat tillsätts till massa verkar det mekanosorptiva krypet minska. När lågmolekylärt lignin används tillsammans med ligninradikalinitiatorerna lackas eller mangan(III) i kraftlinermassa erhålls dessutom en våtstyrka på ca 5% av torrstyrkan. Efter aminering av detta lignin gav en tillsatts till kraftlinermassan en våtstyrka på upp till 10% av torrstyrkan. Det finns indikationer på att det mekanosorptiva krypet samtidigt minskar när dessa behandlingar görs som ger upphov till ökad våtstyrka.</p> / <p>Wood consists mainly of three types of polymers; cellulose, hemi cellulose and lignin. Lignin is formed in nature through enzymatic initiated oxidative coupling of three different kinds of phenyl propane units. These form by various carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen bonds, an amorphous three-dimensional polymer. As chemical pulp is produced, lignin is degraded and dissolved into pulping liquors. These liquors contain the spent cooking chemicals and are generally burnt in a recovery boiler to regenerate cooking chemicals and produce steam. However, the recovery boiler is expensive. Hence, it has become the bottleneck for production in many pulp mills. Removal of some lignin from the spent cooking liquor would, for that reason, be desired and valuable products based on lignin from cooking liquors are searched for.</p><p>One suitable area for lignin products would be as additive in unbleached pulp. A major product from unbleached pulp is kraftliner, the top and bottom layers of corrugated board. When boxes of corrugated board are stored in containers travelling overseas the relative humidity is varying. This makes the boxes collapse more easily than if they were stored at constant humidity, even a high one. This is due to the so called mechano-sorptive or accelerated creep phenomenon. By addition of wet strength additive to kraftliner or treating it with hydrophobic compounds there are indications on that the mechano-sorptive effect would decrease.</p><p>Trying to decrease this effect, low molecular weight kraft lignin has been used. It was obtained by cross-flow filtration of black liquor and precipitation by sulphuric acid. By derivatisation of this lignin by linseed oil, a hydrophobic lignin derivative was obtained, similar in structure to units in the biopolymer suberin. As this suberin-like lignin-derivative was added to pulp the mechano-sorptive creep seemed to be lowered. Furthermore, when the low molecular weight lignin was used together with the lignin radical initiators laccase or manganese(III) in kraftliner pulp, a wet strength of about 5% of dry strength was obtained. An amination treatment of this lignin and addition to kraftliner pulp resulted in a wet strength of up to 10% of dry strength. There are indications of that the mechano-sorptive creep also decreases as these treatments, resulting in increased wet strength, are made.</p>

In both the chemical and mechanical pulping process, the logs are cut into wood chips by a disc chipper before fibre separation. To make the wood chipping process more efficient, one have to investigate in detail the coupling between process parameters and the quality of the chips. One objective of this thesis was to obtain an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind the creation of wood chips. Another objective with the thesis was to investigate whether it was possible to, in a way tailor the chipping process so as to reduce the energy consumption in a following mechanical refining process. Both experimental and analytical/numerical approaches have been taken in this work. The first part of the experimental investigations, were performed with an in-house developed chipping device and a digital speckle photography equipment. The results from the experimental investigation showed that the friction between the log and chipping tool is probably one crucial factor for the chip formation. Further more it was found that the indentation process is approximately self-similar, and that the stress field over the entire crack-plane is critical for chip creation. The developed analytical model predicts the normal and shear strain distribution and to be more specific, the model can predict the compressive stresses parallel to the fibre direction for an assumed linear elastic and orthotropic material. The analytical distributions were found to be in reasonable agreement with the corresponding distributions obtained from a finite element analysis. To be able to study the chipping process under realistic conditions, which for example means to use chipping rates representative for a real wood chipper, a laboratory chipper was developed. Details regarding the chipper and how to evaluate the force measurements are given together with an example of how the force on the cutting tool (the knife) varies with time during cutting. To investigate the influence of a certain chipping process parameter, the chips were after production in the laboratory chipper, refined in a pilot refiner during conditions optimized for TMP (thermomechanical pulp) and CTMP (chemithermomechanical pulp) processes. It was concluded that the details concerning the chip process had a large impact on e.g. the energy consumption in both first stage and second stage refining. Results showing this are given in this thesis. / För både kemisk och mekanisk pappersmassa så tillverkas flis av trädstockar med hjälp av en skivhugg innan fibrerna separeras. För att göra flisningsprocessen mer effektiv, måste kopplingen mellan processparametrar och fliskvalitet studeras. Ett mål med denna avhandling är att ge fundamental kunskap om mekanismerna bakom bildandet av träflis. Både experimentella och analytiska/numeriska metoder har använts i detta arbete. De experimentella undersökningarna har gjorts med hjälp av egen utvecklad utrustning. Resultaten från den experimentella undersökningen visar att friktionen mellan stammen och flisningsverktyget har betydelse vid flisning. Vidare observerades det att inträngnings processen är approximativt självlik (self similar) och att det är spänningsfältet över hela sprickplanet som är kritiskt för bildandet av en flis. Den utvecklade analytiska modellen förutsäger normal- och skjuvspänningsfördelningen över sprickplanet och kan mer specifikt förutsäga den kompressiva belastning som verkar parallellt fiberriktningen i ett linjärt elastiskt och ortotropt material (trä). De analytiskt bestämda fördelningarna stämmer relativt väl överens med motsvarande fördelningar beräknad med finit element analys. För att kunna studera flisningsprocessen under realistiska förhållanden, vilket bl.a. betyder att skärhastigheter som är representativa för en verklig process skall användas, så utvecklades inom ramen för avhandlingsarbetet, en laboratoriesflishugg. Detaljer rörande flishuggen samt hur uppmätta lastsignaler skall utvärderas ges tillsammans med ett exmpel på hur kraften på skärverktyget (kniven) varierar under ett skärförlopp. Inverkan av en viss flisningsprocessparameter undersöktes genom att flis tillverkades i laboratorieflishuggen varefter de raffinerades i en pilotraffinör under förhållanden som var optimerade för TMP (termomekanisk massa) och CTMP (kemitermomekanisk massa) processerna. Det konstaterades att detaljer i flisningsprocessen hade stor inverkan på t.ex. energiåtgången i både första stegs – och andrastegsraffinering. Resultat som verifierar detta ges i avhandlingen. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Submitted. Paper 5: Submitted.</p>

For paper producers, an understanding of the development of strength properties in the paper is of uttermost importance. Strong papers are important operators both in the traditional paper industry as well as in new fields of application, such as fibre-based packaging, furniture and light-weight building material. In the work reported in this thesis, three approaches to increasing paper strength were addressed: mixing different pulps, multilayering and reinforcement with man-made fibres. In specific: The effects of mixing Swedish softwood kraft pulp with southern pine or with abaca (Musa Textilis) were investigated. Handsheets of a softwood kraft pulp with the addition of abaca fibres were made in a conventional sheet former. It was seen that the addition of abaca fibres increased the tearing resistance, fracture toughness, folding endurance and air permeance. Tensile strength, tensile stiffness and tensile energy absorption, however, decreased somewhat. Still it was possible to add up to about 60% abaca without any great loss in tensile strength. As an example, with the addition of 30% abaca, the tear index was increased by 36%, while the tensile index was decreased by 8%. To study the effect of stratification, a handsheet former for the production of stratified sheets, the LB Multilayer Handsheet Former was evaluated. The advantage of this sheet former is that it forms a stratified sheet at low consistency giving a good ply bond. It was shown to produce sheets with good formation and the uniformity, evaluated as the variation of paper properties, is retained at a fairly constant level when the number of layers in the stratified sheets is increased. The uniformity of the sheets produced in the LB Multilayer Handsheet Former is generally at the same level as of those produced in conventional sheet formers. The effects of placing southern pine and abaca in separate layers, rather than mixing them homogeneously with softwood pulp were studied. Homogeneous and stratified sheets composed of softwood and southern pine or softwood and abaca were produced in the LB Multilayer Handsheet Former. It was found that by stratifying a sheet, so that a pulp with a high tear index and a pulp with a high tensile index are placed in separate layers, it was possible to increase the tear index by approximately 25%, while the tensile index was decreased by 10-20%. Further, by mixing a pulp with less conformable fibres and no fines with a pulp with more flexible fibres and fines, a synergy in tensile strength (greater strength than that predicted by linear mass fraction additivity) was obtained. The effects of stratifying sheets composed of softwood and abaca were compared to the effects of refining the softwood pulp. Homogeneous and stratified sheets composed of softwood with three different dewatering resistances and abaca were also produced in the LB Multilayer Handsheet Former. It was found that by stratifying the sheets the tear index was retained while the tensile index was increased by the refining. The effects of reinforcing softwood pulp of different dewatering resistances with man-made fibres with low bonding ability were also investigated. Man-made fibres (i.e. regenerated cellulose, polyester and glass fibres) were added in the amounts 1, 3, or 5 wt% to softwood pulp of three different dewatering resistances. It was found that with refining of a softwood pulp and subsequent addition of long fibres with low bonding ability the tensile-tear relationship can be shifted towards higher strength values. The bonding ability of the man-made fibres was evaluated by pull-out tests and the results indicated that, in relation to the fibre strength, regenerated cellulose (lyocell) was most firmly attached to the softwood network while the glass fibres were most loosely attached.