PROJECT TITLE: THE DESIGN OF A 21 TON/DAY PROCESS TO ENHANCE THE

PROPERTIES OF PAPER BASED ON RECYCLED PULP BY INCOOPERATING THE USE

OF POLYLACTIC ACID.

BY
Nyasha Wycliff Tichivangani H1213010K

SUPERVISED

BY

MRS Tsorai
 THE DESIGN OF A PROCESS TO ENHANCE THE PROPERTIES OF
RECYCLED PULP

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Paper is an aqueous deposit of any vegetable fiber in sheet form. If you tear a piece of paper you
will see a number of minute ‘whiskers ‘sticking out from the line of the tear. These are the fibers,
they are very small in size (not much more than a millimeter in length) and there are millions of
them in any piece of paper. Paper is made from cellulose, trees being the main source of
cellulose fiber (or wood pulp). Besides wood pulp, paper can be made from other materials such
as cotton, flax, esparto, straw, hemp, manilla and jute. Some of the pulp properties depend upon
the process used to separate the fibers from the timber. Pulp and paper manufacturing commonly
involves wood preparation (such as debarking and chipping of wood), pulp manufacturing, pulp
bleaching, and paper manufacturing. Pulp mills and paper mills may exist separately or as
integrated operations. Another important source of fiber for papermaking is recovered paper or
recycled paper, which is rewetted and reduced to pulp after removing inks, adhesives, and other
contaminants by chemical deinking and mechanical separation. The physical properties of pulp
fibers depend on the raw material and the pulping process used. There are five main types of
pulping processes: (1) chemical; (2) mechanical; (3) semi chemical; (4) recycle; and (5) other
(e.g., dissolving, non-wood). For this paper we will deal with recycled pulp paper. Recycled
pulp can be categorized into four groups;

1. Secondary Fiber: fibers that have previously been used in a manufacturing process and
have been reclaimed as raw material for another process.
2. Pre-consumer waste: any waste, printed or unprinted, generated in the fabrication or
conversion of finished paper. Before use by a consumer as a final end product.
3. Post-consumer waste: Paper that has passed through the end usage as a consumer
product.
4. Internal broke: off-specification paper that is repulped and used at the same site, not
considered secondary fiber.

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The 4 main Paper grades in recycled paper are;

1. Mixed Papers: mixed papers, low quality office waste, magazines, catalogs, telephone
directories, recycled boxboard cuttings, tissue paper converting scraps if mainly
composed of recycled fiber, mill wrappers, specialty grades, all other grades not specified
2. Newspapers: old newspapers, special news, ground wood computer printout, coated
ground wood sections, publication blanks, mixed ground wood and flyleaf shavings
3. Corrugated: old corrugated containers, container cuttings, Kraft paper and bags, old
solid fiber containers, Kraft bag clippings, carrier stock and its clippings
4. Pulp Substitutes and high grade deinking: bleached chemical pulped office papers and
CPO suitable for deinking, or as a pulp substitute if unprinted, bleached sulfite and
sulfate cuttings including tissue paper converting scrap if predominantly composed of
bleached chemical pulp fiber, coated book stock

Recycled Fiber Definitions:

 Recovery Rate (RR)

 how much paper is diverted from landfill

 Utilization Rate (UR)

 fraction of recycled fibers contained in paper

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2.1 Availability of resources:

Zimbabwe currently makes about 2.5 million tons of solid waste per year. The average % of
paper and paper cardboard is estimated at 40. With consideration of the industry the amount of
waste paper constitutes 25%, this that there is 625000 tons of waste paper being produced per
year in Zimbabwe.
2.2 Why recycling:

When paper breaks down in landfill it creates methane, a major greenhouse gas with the global
warming capacity 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Manufacturing paper and
cardboard products from recycled material not only conserves trees, it also uses up to 50% less
energy and 90% less water than making them from raw material. These days, good quality office
and printing paper, as well as many other paper products are available with recycled paper
content of up to 100%. For every 100 reams of recycled office paper that is printed doubled
sided, the savings are estimated at two trees, more than one ton of greenhouse gases and almost a
cubic meter of landfill space, compared with using 100 reams of non-recycled paper or printing
single-sided. With this in mind it let to the current trend to recycle paper and make it strong.

2.3 Effects of recycling:

Even though it has many advantages associated with recycling there also effects of the recycling
process.

2.3.2 Effect on Chemical pulps:

Chemically pulped fibers that have never been dried: have the ability to swell with water which
makes the fibers flexible can be mechanically treated (refining) to increase the flexibility. The
flexible never dried fibers are able to conform in the paper sheet which increases the fiber
bonded area making strong paper. When dried, the fibers become rigid, termed hornification.
Previously dried fibers, upon exposure to water, do not swell and do not become flexible. These
rigid fibers break upon refining: causing fines. When paper is made, the rigid fibers do not
conform in the paper sheet and the resulting low fiber bonded area produces a weak sheet. Other
effects include mechanical damage, loss of fines, hardening and stiffening (hornification),
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weakening of bonding: -less fiber conformability, less absorptive, loss of hemicellulose and
decreased cleanliness.

2.3.2 Effects of Recycling on Mechanical Pulps:

Wood containing pulps from mechanical pulping processes have lignin (a three-dimensional
cross linked polymer) which makes fiber walls stiff and deters water swelling. The stiff,
somewhat round cross section fibers make paper with low fiber bonded area and weak fiber
bonds. Therefore, the strength of never dried mechanical pulps is generally lower than of never
dried chemical pulps. Recycling may improve properties of mechanical pulps by flattening and
flexiblizing the fibers. “Different behavior than chemical pulps on recycling”

2.3.3 Effect of Recycled Fibers on the Papermaking Process:

 Lower freeness: decrease machine speeds or add drainage aid

 Lower paper strength: more sheet breaks
 Low efficiency of chemical additives (fines and anionic trash)
 Increased deposits
 Decreased cleanliness

2.3 Types of Processes to improve Strength and Properties of Recycled Paper:

When studying qualitative changes that happen by recycling process, they are not
necessarily negative. Before using recycled fibers it’s needed to make some changes in the
quality of recycled pulp. Recycled pulp properties can be changed with several processes like:

1. Refining:
The potential of paper making can change by refining to some extent similar to virgin pulps. In
this condition the main goal of refining is improvement the potential of making
connections between fibers by re-swelling in fiber wall. Notably this connection is missed
during fiber drying. But recycled pulps have two weaknesses the first is that fibers length are
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shorter and the second is that because of fines presence, freeness degree is lower. Of course
freeness degree because of fines presence is only special for mechanical recycled papers.
Because freeness degree of chemical pulps increase after recycling. In equal dewatering speed,
refined recycled pulps are weaker than virgin pulps. If two kinds of recycled pulps and virgin
ones were refined until equal resistance, the speed of dewatering from recycled paper will be
slower than virgin pulp, and this may causes the reduction of production in paper making
machine. Fiber refining increases the amount of fines and decreasing the length of fibers.

2. Preventing from hornification:

The term ‘‘hornification’’ is a technical term used in wood pulp and paper research literature
that refers to the stiffening of the polymer structure that takes place in lignocellulos materials
upon drying or water removal. When wood pulp fibers are dried, the internal fiber volume
shrinks, because of structural changes in wood pulp fibers. If fibers are re-suspended in
water, the original water-swollen state is not regained. The effect of hornification may be
identified in those physical paper or wood pulp properties that are related to hydration or
swelling, such as burst or tensile properties. Repeated recycles showed progressive variations
in these properties for several cycles. This concept, which was introduced by G. Jayme in
1944, was originally expressed by the German word ‘‘Verhornung’’, initially translated into
English as ‘‘hornification’’, and later changed to ‘‘hornification’’. Jayme introduced the water
retention value (WRV) measurement by centrifugation and defined irreversible hornification as a
decrease in WRV, expressing percentage of the original value. The decrease in WRV was found
to correlate in multiple recycling very well with fiber thickness as measured from electron
microscopic images, whereas no change in fiber width was detected after multiple fiber drying
. Further research showed that the process of drying of fibers causes a significant loss
of large pores and a reduction of surface area. Wet pressing has also been found to produce
hornification. Hornification is a technique that is mostly using for analysis the differences that
occur in fibers under impression of recycling. Decreasing in water retention amount in fibers
occur under impression of horrification. Basically recycling is a method for removing the effects
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arising from horrification. As a result of mechanical function of refiner, fiber walls that have
formed hydrogen bonds during drying process will turn to form again. Hornification pulp shows
less beat ability and produced fibril materials are rougher, it shows that beating cannot return
hornification completely but it can reduce it. One of the other methods is prevention the
hornification, replacement of hydroxyl groups with other functional groups. In a way that fibrils
in neighbor walls do not bond together.

3. Mixing with virgin pulp:

Recycled pulp potential can advance by mixing virgin pulp with appropriate properties. Schwartz
Tagen and Prezy Bizder found out that virgin pulp has a great effect in improvement properties
of recycled pulp and the reason is that virgin pulp has more active fibers and more active fines.
They found out that adding refined virgin pulp to recycled pulp causes more improvement in
properties. (Studying these researchers has done on chemical pulp). Virgin fibers with high
quality also help in the other way to recycled pulps. And it’s that when these fibers were mixed
with recycled fibers it causes the increasing of the product quality in recycling again of paper.

4. Chemical additives:
Haward and Jowsay (1989) had some studies on the effect of adding cationic starch to recycled
pulp and properties of produced handmade paper, he saw that adding starch to recycled fibers
leads to restoration lost bonds on surface of these fibers and between bonds strength has
increased and in the end it caused increasing of handmade papers resistance properties to
the level of virgin pulps. Probably most common additive for improvement of recycled pulp
resistance is cationic starch that mostly was added to wet part of paper making machine. Cationic
starch does the bond strengthening by improvement of bond strength to bonded surface of sheet.
Also other methods have studied for increasing of recycled pulp quality by adding chemical
materials, which of course none of those have accepted generally.

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5. Fiber fractionation:
This operation is doing when waste papers contain large amount of fiber kinds. In this operation,
recycled pulps were divided to two kinds of short and long fibers. There is a report from
some Germany factories that is producing corrugated board and liner test from Kraft waste
papers, it has been mentioned that pulp with screening is separated to two parts of short and
long and long fibers is refining separately, then by using one of these following programs the
separated fibers will be used again:
A: using two parts in producing two different kinds of papers in two separated machines.
B: using two parts in two layers or in more than two layers of one sheet.
C: remixing refined long fibers with not refined short fibers.

6. Chemical reconversion:
The other method is increasing quality by reconversion and using chemical materials. Diroo et al
offered that for delignification of recycled pulp that had been produced from several kinds of
waste paper, oxygen care has been used. In this method related properties of pulp resistance had
a great improvement. Authors believe that ozone attacks to lignin and more cellulose goes into
reaction in spite of this, they assumed that the fiber surface in unknown way goes for chemical
changes. Because of high cost, this method cannot be used in commercial operations. In spite of
this, generally with the higher virgin pulp quality, recycled pulp quality and also mixed pulps
that paper is made by those would be better .In this subject, the effect of adding several kinds of
chemical materials to virgin fibers of not bleached Kraft pine tree that is never dried has studied
that maybe this adding obstacle from reducing of established resistance due to recycling.

2.4 Scope of the Project:

Currently papermakers are focusing on how to improve strength for paper. This can be measured
by tensile strength, bursting strength, or internal bonding strength. There are various ways to
increase the strength of paper such as using refining, wet pressure, or additives. However, use of
mechanical actions like refining could bring about the reduction in opacity, brightness,
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dimensional stability or porosity. Therefore, use of additives is very common and has been
employed in most paper mills. Starch is used most frequently today as a dry strength additive in
the paper industry. Starches can significantly improve the mechanical properties of paper such as
tensile strength. Also, starches are used as retention aid, surface sizing agent, coating binder, and
adhesive in corrugated board and other converting operations. Beside the excellent contributions
to the strength and other properties of paper, the use of starches can lead to several difficulties
for papermaking process.

One of the current major problems when using starches is the loss of starch to the white water
system. Starches are water soluble, hydrophilic polymers. When the amount of starch added to
the system is high, the retention of starch on the paper web becomes lower and then starch would
be lost to the white water system due to its hydrophilic properties. The loss of starches results in
increasing production costs, and in the long term of operation, it can cause microbiological
problems that negatively affect the run ability of machines as well as the quality of paper.
Moreover, because starch is mainly considered as a dry wet strength agent, it is not known to be
a contributor to the wet strength, air and water resistance of paper. Therefore, it is necessary to
study new additives to use together with starch to further increase the strength of paper, reduce
the consumption of starch, reduce the microbiological problems, and improve wet strength, air
and water resistance of paper. In an attempt to fulfil these needs, poly-lactic acid (PLA) had been
introduced to the wet end system. PLA has been found to be a potential alternative for starch,
and it is also a biodegradable product. Furthermore, PLA can be produced from natural resources
like corn, but also woody biomass.

2.5 Polylactic Acid:

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer with a wide range of
applications. A biodegradable polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating subunits,
called monomers that can be broken down by microorganisms. PLA has recently attracted a lot
of attention from advocates of sustainable as it is made from renewable resources, has a small
carbon footprint and is an environmentally friendly compound with properties that can
commercially compete with non-biodegradable polymers such as petroleum based plastics.
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3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

3.1 Introduction

In this chapter, focus is on the different methods and research methods under which the research
was conducted. The chapter narrates how each method was applied to the success of the
project.It covers the processes carried out to reach the desired solution and how information was
collected and analysed.
3.2.1 Experiment 1: Making Polylactic acid

In to have polylactic acid, an experiment was done to create the acid. 20ml of polylactic acid was
added to a beaker and 5 drops of 2M of hydrochloric acid was added including 2 anti-bonding
granules. The solution was the taken put on the stove to heat the reaction so as to speed it up. The
solution was occasionally stirred and it was heated for 10-15 minutes. When the solution turned
yellow the beaker was removed from the stove and the solution left to cool

3.2.2 Experiment 2: Preparation of the starch-polylactic solution

Preparation of Polylactic Acid:

Samples of PLA were put into two different test tubes. The 1st sample was taken 20ml of PLA
and completely dissolved in 20ml acetone under normal stirring condition and a short period of
time. The 2nd sample was also dissolved in 20ml acetone but under long and high stirring
condition.

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Preparation of Starch:

Starch in the form of powder was mixed with distilled water and then cooked at the consistency
0.1% at temperature 95˚C - 98˚C for 30 minutes under constant stirring. During the cooking, a
flask containing the starch solution will be covered by a small aluminum tray to prevent the
evaporation of water.

3.2.3 Experiment 3: Making of Paper

A sample of newspaper sheets was taken cut into small pieces and then soaked in hot water and
put in a blender to make the sample cloggy. To the sample of Paper a bleaching agent was added
to remove the ink and color. Water was added to remove the debris twice. The three samples of
PLA are each mixed with the cooked starch and stirred until a clear and stable solution is made.

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Then the starch-PLA mixture is added to the pulp slurry and agitated for about 5 minutes to get
an even mixture of pulp, starch and PLA. The pulp mixture was then taken pressed between two
sheets of aluminum to make paper.

3.2.4 Experiment 4: Tensile test for the Paper

The aim of the experiment is to test for the maximum allowable load that the paper can
withstand. The sheet of paper was mounted on two retort stands. Then 10g weights and 20g
weights were mounted on the top of the supported paper until it broke. The load at which it broke
was recorded.

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CHAPTER 4: EXEPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Experiment 1: Making of Polylactic acid

The lactic acid reacted with the hydrochloric acid and heated for those 10-15minutes changed
from clear solution to a yellowish color. The now formed Polylactic acid was cooled for further
processing. . For this process about 10-30 lactic molecules would have joined together but for the
industrial one several hundred would have formed long polymer chains.

4.2 Experiment 2: preparation of Starch-Polylactic acid solution

The polylactic acid solution dissolved in acetone was mixed with the cooked starch and a clear
solution was observed as stated by literature.

4.3 Experiment 3: Making of Paper

The process to make the paper was successful and the sheet of paper was produced. The resulting
sheet of paper is shown below.

4.4 Experiment 4: Tensile Strength Test

Tensile strength of a material is an indication of the allowable load it can carry. For the paper it
is an indication of the fiber strength, fiber bonding and length of fiber. Tensile strength can be
used as an indicator of the resistance to web breaking during processes such as printing or
converting.

Calculation of maximum permissible load:

The load that the paper could hold was 0.20kg.

𝐹𝑂𝑅𝐶𝐸
Pressure =
𝐴𝑅𝐸𝐴

The diameter of the small masses is 6cm.

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Pressure then becomes;

4𝑚𝑔
=
𝜋𝑑2

4 × 0.20 × 9.81
=
𝜋 × 0.062

=693.92Pa

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟
The basis of weight of the paper = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟

𝟎.𝟎𝟒 𝒌𝒈
= 𝟎.𝟐𝟏𝒎×𝟎.𝟑𝟎𝒎

= 0.635𝑘𝑔/𝑚2
𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
Therefore, force per unit mass = 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

693.92𝑃𝑎
= 0.635𝑘𝑔/𝑚2

= 1092.79𝑁/𝐾𝑔

The results show that the addition of the polylactic acid solution has greatly increased the
strength of the paper as for handmade paper the strength is around 10N/g.

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CHAPTER 5: PROCESS DESIGN

5.1.0 BLOCK FLOW DIAGRAM OF THE PAPER RECYCLING PROCESS:

Pulper Waste
Paper

Screening/
cleaning Rejects

Freshwater
Recovered

Upgrading
Fiber

Deinking
Residue

Mixing Chest
Water
White

Fiber Paper
Recovery Machine

WWTP

Product

Effluent Sludge

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The process has the following operations:

 Pulping
 Screening/ Separation
 Flow Cleaning
 Bleaching
 Mixing with additives
 Pressing
 Cutting
 Treatment of Waste Water

5.1.1 Waste paper pulp Preparation:

For this project, the main raw material will be municipal waste. This waste paper comes in the
form of newspapers, corrugated boxes and cutting. This waste paper is cut down and fed into
pulper through conveyor belt continuously. In the pulper water is added along with waste paper.
The pulper has specially designed rotor moving at the bottom which breaks up waste paper
into high density cleaner. The function of high density cleaner is to separate out heavy
constraints from the pulp. The pulp is then passed through turbo separator where fibers
are further disintegrated, light materials are separated out. The rejects from turbo separator
is conveyed to vibrating screen where pure plastics and high rejects into pulp storing tank. This
pulp is free from dust pins, plastic etc.

5.1.2 Stock preparation:

The pulp from stock chest is pumped into refining chest and then passed through refiner to
achieve required degree of freeness. The treatments in refiner decide the quality of paper, the
paper is further whitened in the bleaching column. After refining the pulp is transferred to
mixing chest through pump. In the mixing chest chemicals such as alum, rosin, colors, additives
etc. are added to give a required strength. These chemicals are allowed to mix for some time, and
then transferred to machine test. From machine chest pulp is send for paper making.
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5.1.3 Paper making:

The pulp from machine chest through regulating box is mixed with white water and flowing
through centric cleaners system to make pulp further clean from centric cleaner pulp enters head
box which uniformly distributed fibers the pulp over a running wire of four diner part. On the
four diner part a shake is given to rolls and then by vacuum boxes. At this stage a wet sheet of
paper is transferred to press section. In press section the sheet of paper is pressed between rubber
rolls, supported by felts to squeeze out additional water under temperature. At this stage the sheet
has about 50/52% moisture. This wet sheet is gain fed in pre dryers and in M.G. Cylinder, which
is heated to about 110 degree cent grades by steam. In M.G. Cylinder, the sheet is again pressed
between M.G. cylinder and touch roll which imparts glaze on a sheet paper and the moisture is
evaporated. These outgoing moisture is 20/25% and these sheets go to post dryers where again
the evaporation takes place. The dry sheet of 7% moisture is reeled at pop reel. Then the paper is
finally cut into required sizes on reminder machine and the same is ready for marketing.

5.1.4 Waste Water Treatment Plant:

The process water is mainly contaminated during cleaning, deinking and fiber recovery.
Therefore, wastewater from RCF based paper mills consists of

 Water from reject separation by screens and centrifugal cleaners

 Filtrates from washers, thickeners and sludge handling
 Excess white water depending on the rate of recycling

Wastewater is purified using primary and biological treatment at the site and recycled back to the
system. The effluent left is discharged to a municipal sewage pipes after primary clarification for
suspended solids removal.

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5.2 PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM:

P-19

Septic tank
Recycled water
storage tank E-11

E-10
Bleaching column
E-15

P-13

Mixing Vessel
P-8

E-24

E-25
E-16 E-21

WASTE PAPER STORAGE P-3

Thickner

E-6
P-4
deinking
camber E-17
PULPER

E-4
P-5
E-23 White water E-22

Machine test
Screen P-9

E-3 Paper making

Machine
Recovered Fiber

E-7

P-10
P-10

Dryer
P-14

E-9

Fiber Recovery
System
Product E-13

E-19

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5.3 Material Balance

Material balances are the basis of any chemical engineering process. It the fundamentals that
help in the designing of a process and the processes involved in a chemical plant.

5.3.1 Mass balance over pulper:

Water

Waste PULPER PULP SULGE

Paper

5.3.1.1 Mass balance for the waste paper

The amount of solid waste generated in Zimbabwe is estimated to be 2.5 million tonnes per year.
With solid waste paper estimated to be 25% of the total, therefore about 625000 tons of waste
paper is generated per year.

From experimental results, it is estimated that 80% of the waste paper can be made into paper
and 20% is made of the inks and other wastes. These means that to make 60 tons per the waste
paper is needed is:

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1
Waste paper conveyed = 60000 × 24

=2500kg/hr

Waste =2500kg/hr× 20%

= 500𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

Pulp produced = (2500 − 500)𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

= 2000𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

5.3.1.2 Mass Balance for water

According to literature the amount of pulp is 70% by mass dry fiber and waste water constitute
60% of the input.

1
Volume of water in pulp= 70% × 60000𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟 × 1000𝑘𝑔 𝑚3

= 4.2𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

100
Volume of required water= × 4.2𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟
40

= 10.5𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

60
Volume of waste water= 100 × 10.5𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

= 6.3𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

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5.3.2 Mass balance over screening system:

Water

Pulp
Pulp Sludge Screening System

Debris

Waste Water

A total of 50m3 of water is required for screening at rate of 2.08 m3/hr. 60% is consumed and
40% come out.

Volume of water consumed = 60% × 2.08𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

= 1.25𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

Volume of waste water= 40% × 2.08

= 0.8333𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

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Since there is no chemical reaction

Mass in = Mass out.

The fraction of debris is estimated to be around 5% as started in literature.

Mass of the debris removed = 0.05 × 2000𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

= 100Kg/hr

Clean Pulp recovered= (2000 − 100)𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

= 19000𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

5.3.3 Mass balance over Deinking section:

White pulp
Pulp Deinking column
Inks and
Sodium additives
hypochlorite

The amount of sodium hypochlorite that can be used for a recycling process is approximately
50kg per ton of the paper making process per ton.

Amount of inks and additives removed= 5% × 1900𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

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= 95𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

Amount of white pulp obtained = (1900 − 95)𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟

=1805kg/hr

5.3.4 Mass balance across the paper making machine:

Effluent
White pulp
Paper Making
Machine Waste Water
Water
Paper sheet

Mass balance for pulp

An estimated 10% of pulp is lost as effluent during paper making.

Amount of pulp lost as effluent= 10% × 1805kg/hr

= 180.50kg/hr

Amount of pulp left= (1805 − 180.50)kg/hr

= 1624.50kg/hr

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Mass balance for water

60m3 of Water is required per day for the process. The flow rate of water is 2.5m3/hr and the
consumption ranges between 5-8%.

60𝑚3 1
Volume of water consumed= × 24ℎ𝑟/𝑑𝑎𝑦 × 5%
𝑑𝑎𝑦

= 0,125m3 /hr

60𝑚3 1
Volume of waste water= × 24ℎ𝑟/𝑑𝑎𝑦 × 95%
𝑑𝑎𝑦

= 2.375m3 /hr

Water in= Water out + Water consumed

5.3.5 Mass balance over dryer:

Sheet of paper
(50% solid, 50%
water)

Pre Dryer Paper (5%

moisture)

Water
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Material balance in

Amount of solids entering the dryer= 1624.50 × 50%

= 812.25kg/hr

Amount of water entering dryer = 1624.50 × 50%

= 812.25kg/hr

Material balance (out)

Amount of solid coming in= Amount of solid going out

=812.25kg/hr

100
Total mas of paper produced= ×812.25kg/hr
95

= 855 kg/hr

Mass of water remain in paper= (855 − 812.25)kg/hr

= 42.75kg/hr

Mass of water evaporated = mass of pulp-mass of paper produced

= 1624.50kg/hr-855kg/hr

=769.50kg/hr

The plant capacity = 855kg/hr×24hr/day

= 20 520 ton/day

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5.5 Energy Balance

5.5.1 The basis of energy balances

Energy out= Energy in + Generation – Consumption –Accumulation

5.5.2 Energy balance over Dryer:

Paper sheet Product

Pre Dryer

Hot air Spent air

Data

Amount of water in feed=656.47 kg/hr

Dry solid in feed = 802.47kg/hr

Water content in product=42.24kg/hr

Water dried in dryer=614.33kg/hr

Inlet temperature of feed =25oC

Outlet temperature=198oC
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Discharge temperature= 180oC

Inlet air temperature= 150oC

Outlet air temperature

Assuming a wet bulb temperature of 32oC and 70% humidity of air

temperature of inlet air−wet bulb temperature

Number of Transfer units= ln 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑤𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒

Assuming NTU=2

150−32
Temperature of outlet air= + 32℃ + temperature of inlet air
7.389

=198℃

Discharge temperature of feed

Discharge temperature of feed= (inlet air temp + outlet air temp)/2

=173℃

Heat change required for raising the product to discharge temperature Q1

Cp of water = 4.2KJ/kg℃

Cp of chromite’s=2.7kJ/kg℃

Q1 = 1459.0449kg/hr×2.7kJ/kg℃×150℃ + (42.42kg/hr×4.2kJ/kg℃× (173-25)℃)

=617281.46J/hr

Heat required for evaporation of water, Q2

1kg of water requires 43.64kJ of energy to evaporate then

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Q2=mℓ

=614.33kg/hr×43.64kJ/kg

=26809.36J/hr

Heat required for removing water, Q3

Q3=614.33kg/hr×4.2kJ/kg℃× (32-25) ℃+ 0.45kJ/hr℃× (198-32) ℃

=18136J/hr

Total heat required in dryer

Qt = Q1 +Q2+ Q3

= (617281+26809.36+18136) J/hr

=662226.36J/hr.

Pulp energy balance

Data

Specific heat capacity of pulp = 1.4KJ/kg℃

Temperature in =25℃

Temperature out = 140℃

Energy in the input stream = 1666.67kg×1.4kJ/kg℃×25℃

= 58333450J

= 58.33MJ

Energy in the output stream = 1666.67kg×1.4kJ×140℃

= 326667320J

= 326.66MJ

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Energy supplied to pulper = (326.66-58.33) MJ

=268.33MJ

5.3.4 The energy of the whole plant can be tabulated a follows

Table 5.1 showing energy consumption of the plant:

Process heat Electric

[MJ] power

[kWh]

Pulp mill

Pulp preparation 268 200

Deinking 200 175

Washing and screening 0 50

Bleaching 0 75

Total pulp mill 200 500

Stock preparation 0 235

Paper machine 5300 350

Total paper mill 5300 585

Effluent treatment 0 32

Specific energy consumption per 5500 917

t/paper

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CHAPTER 6: Equipment Design

6.1 The design of a high consistent rotor pulper:

6.1.1 Pulper: A device whose main objective is to convert recovered paper into slurry of well
separated fibers and other waste paper components.

6.2 Pulping of Recovered Paper:

The pulping operation is the first and probably the most critical operation in paper recycling.
Proper pulping is a requirement if unit operations downstream (cleaning, screening, flotation…..)
are to be effective. Incorrect pulping conditions can irreversibly damage fibers making them
inappropriate for papermaking uses.

6.3 Pulping:

Main Function: Disperse recovered paper into separated fibers. Several sub-objectives that are
also important:

1. Detach contaminants from fibers.

2. Mix paper with water and chemicals at the correct ratios.

3. Maintain contaminants as large as possible to aid subsequent removal processes.

4. Avoid damage to the fibers (fiber cutting).

5. Removal of large debris from system.

6.3.1 Basic Pulping Categories: Batch vs. Continuous Pulping

Batch Pulping: The feed recovered paper, water and chemicals are all charged at the beginning
of the process and are removed all at once at the end of the process. The batch process is
repeated.

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Continuous Pulping: The feed recovered paper, water and chemicals are continuously added to
the pulper and at the same time, the pulped product is also being continuously removed.

6.3.2 Basic Pulping Categories: Low vs High Consistency

𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦(𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠) = 100 ∗ 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 𝑤𝑡

𝑤𝑡+𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑤𝑡
=%𝐾

Low Consistency Pulping:

Typically from 3-6 % K. produces a relatively easily pumpable fluid. The fluid is “pourable”.

High Consistency Pulping: Typically from 8 - 18 % K. produces thick, slurry that will not flow
under the influence of gravity alone.

Basic Parts of a Pulper:

1. Wastepaper feed method (conveyor).

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2. Pulper tub.

3. Rotor - spinning device for agitation, mechanical energy input to the system.

4. Baffles - protrusions to assist in mixing and prevent swirling.

5. Dilution water.

6. Pulper exit

6.4 Forces in a Pulper:

6.4.1 Mechanical Forces: These are caused when the fast moving rotor impacts material in the
relatively slower body of pulp stock around it.

 Faster rotor speeds cause more intense mechanical forces in the pulper.

6.4.2 Hydraulic forces: These are caused by the motion of fluid that is caused by the spinning
rotor (not by the direct impact of the rotors). When two adjacent portions of a fluid are moving in
different directions (or at different speeds) a shear force is present. An example in the picture
would be at point A.

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6.4.3 Attrition:

Mechanical shearing forces that occur between the moving rotor and a static extraction plate near
the rotor. The rotor forces fiber bundles between the rotor and extraction plate. Intense hydraulic
forces act to cut the fiber bundles and fibers. This can cause significant damage to fibers. Used
only for low % K pulping because the pulp must be screenable

6.5 Low Consistency Pulping:

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Consistency ranges from 3 -6 %. Low profile rotor that rotates at high speeds. Motion of rotor
causes a vortex of pulp stock. The baffles are used to improve mixing. High mechanical force
due to impacts of rotor can damage fiber and break contaminants.

6.7 High Consistance Pulping:

Typically ranges from 8-18 %. High profile rotor used. The helical screw type rotor is needed to
“pull down” the non-fluid like high % K stock, from the top to the bottom of the pulper. At the
high % K, fiber-fiber (solid-solid) rubbing dominates the forces experienced in the pulper.

Comparison of Low vs High Consistency Pulping:

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Rotor/ tank volume is much higher for high % K pulping. This is needed to maintain proper
motion of non - fluid pulp stock at high % K. Specific power is higher for high % K due to the
higher viscosity pulp stock that must be pulped. However, the specific power consumption per
ton of paper is significantly lower for high % K pulping. This is due to high % K pulping having
more tons of fiber for the amount of same pulping volume as a low % K pulper. Also, the
relatively less amount of water at high % K pulping causes less energy to be expended on
moving water.

 Rotor speed is slower for high % K, causing less damage to fibers via mechanical forces of
rotor.
 Attrition forces are not used for high % K pulping. This decreases fiber cutting and
contaminant breakage.
 RESULTS of above: higher tensile, burst and tear strength for high %K pulping
 High consistency pulping includes more fiber to fiber rubbing.
 RESULTS of above: This action increases detachment of contaminants from fiber surfaces.
The detachment of ink from fibers is especially important for washing and flotation
deinking.
 Printing and writing grades consist of a high content of fully bleached hardwood and
softwood fibers that are susceptible to damage => gentle high consistency pulping is
preferred

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 Further printing and writing grades need ink detachment => high consistency pulping with
lots of fiber-fiber rubbing is preferred
 OCC recycling, a historically older technology, typically has low consistency pulping
because unbleached fibers are less susceptible to damage

Material of construction of high consistency rotary pulper

Most pulpers are constructed from solid duplex stainless steels. But the trend has changed and
most are constructed from carbon steel with generous corrosion allowances (0.75 in., 19 mm, or
more), such that they can remain in service for perhaps 10 years before some means of protection
must be used. This better advantage lead to the selection of carbon steel as it also has the
following advantages:

 It is corrosion resistance
 High thermal conductivity
 High tensile strength. Malleable and has high ductility.

6.8.3 Height and diameter of the pulper

The volume required for the pulper according to the process design is 150 m3.

Using the ratio given below to determine the diameter and the height of the container volume
known:
H/D = 2.5
V = π x (D2/4) x L
= π x (D2/4) x 2.5D
= (5/8) π x (D3)
Where V is the volume of the pulper hence the diameter is:

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150 m3 = (5/8) π x (D3)

150m3
D= 3√ 5
×𝜋
8

D=4.24m

Height of the pulper:

H/D= 2.5

H=2.5×D

H= 2.5×4.24m

H=8.49m

Thickness of Pulper:

The critical pressure of a metal is calculated as follows:

Pc = 2.2E (t/Do)3

Where: Pc = critical pressure

Do = outside diameter,

t = wall thickness,

E = Young’s modulus,

The Young’s Modulus for Carbon Steel is 210 GPa, the critical pressure for carbon steel is 0.01Pa. The
outside diameter as calculated above is 4.24m.

Determination of thickness:

t = (PcDo3/ 2.2E) 1/3

= [0.1 kN/mm2× (4.24× 103 mm)3/ 2.2 ×210 × 103kN/mm2)]1/3

= 25.46mm

6.8.2 Rotor design:

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Table 6.1 Design parameters for the rotor

Design Parameter Formulae Value
Impeller Diameter Di = D/3 1.41 m
Impeller Height above Vessel floor E = Di 1.41 m
Length of Impeller Blade L = Di /4 0.35 m
Width of Impeller Blade W = Di /5 0.28 m
No. of Impellers 1
No. of Impeller blades 8

Distance between 2 consecutive impellers 1.5 m

6.8.3 Power requirements

5
Speed of Impeller N = (𝜋×1.41) × 60
= 67.73 rpm
Power no (Np) = 8.

Shaft RPM (N) = 67.73 rpm

= 1.13 rev/sec
Power = (Np x N3x Da5 x ρ)/gc
= (8×1.133×1.415 × 7900)/9.81
= 69.44 hp.

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REFERENCES:

[1] Averous, L. (2008). Polylactic Acid: Synthesis. Properties and Applications. Retrieved from:
http://www.biodeg.net/fichiers/Polylactic%20Acid%20Synthesis%20Properties%20and%20Appl
ications.pdf

[2] Biermann, C.J. (1996) Handbook of Pulping and Papermaking. 2nd Edition, Academic Press
Limited, London.

[3] Gong, C., Hasan, A., Bujanovic, B.M. and Amidon, T.E. (2012) Novel Blend of Bio
renewable Wet-End Paper Agents. APPI, 11, 41-48.

[4] Middelton, J., & Tipton, A. (2000). Synthetic biodegradable polymers as orthopedic devices.

Biomaterial, 21 (23), 2335–2346. doi: 10.1016/S0142-9612(00)00101-0.

[5] Neimo, L. (1999) Papermaking Science and Technology: Papermaking Chemistry. Fapet Oy,
Helsinki, 268-301

[6] Scott, W.E. (1996) Principles of Wet End Chemistry. TAPPI Press.

[7] Smook, G.A. (2002) Handbook for Pulp and Paper Technologists. 3rd Edition, Angus Wilde
Publications, Inc., 207.

[8] Polylactic Acid Life Cycle. Retrieved from:

(http://www.toyo-eng.co.jp/en/product_line/environment/baiomass/index.html)

[9] Paper Recycling Technology Dr. Richard A. Venditti Dept. of Wood and Paper Science

North Carolina State University

[10] Hasan, A., Bujanovic, B.M. and Amidon, T.E. (2010) Strength Properties of Kraft Pulp
Produced from Hot-Water Extracted Wood Chips within the Biorefinery. Journal of Biobased
Materials and Bioenergy, 4, 46-52.http://dx.doi.org/10.1166/jbmb.2010.1064

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[11] Smook, G.A. (2002) Handbook for Pulp and Paper Technologists. 3rd Edition, Angus Wilde
Publications, Inc., 207

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