Possibilities for Optimization of Industrial Alkaline Steeping of Wood-Based Cellulose Fibers.

Steeping of cellulosic materials in aqueous solution of NaOH is a common pre-treatment in several industrial processes for production of cellulose-based products, including viscose fibers. This study investigated whether the span of commonly applied process settings has the potential for process optimization regarding purity, yield, and degree of transformation to alkali cellulose. A hardwood kraft dissolving pulp was extracted with 17-20 wt% aq.