Enzymatic pulp upgrade for producing high-value cellulose out of a Kraft paper pulp.

The high-yield separation of polymeric parts from wood-derived lignocellulosic material is indispensable in biorefinery concepts. For the separation of cellulose and xylan from hardwood paper pulps to obtain pulps of high cellulose contents, simple alkaline extractions were found to be the most suitable technology, although having certain limitations. These are embodied by residual alkali resistant xylan incorporated in the pulp matrix.

Lignin profiling in extracted xylans by size-exclusion chromatography.

Utilization of the polymeric parts of lignocellulose is expected to gain increasing importance in future biorefinery scenarios. In that respect, a particular focus is placed on hemicelluloses from different wood species gained from an industrially feasible upgrading step in the production of dissolving pulps from paper pulps. During alkaline post-extractions for hemicellulose removal, residual lignins are extracted as well.

A precise study on effects that trigger alkaline hemicellulose extraction efficiency.

The conversion of paper-grade pulps into dissolving pulps requires efficient strategies and process steps to remove low-molecular noncellulosic macromolecules generally known as hemicelluloses. Current strategies include alkaline extractions and enzymatic treatments. This study focused on the evaluation of extraction efficiencies in alkaline extractions of three economically interesting hardwood species: beech (Fagus sylvatica), birch (Betula papyrifera), and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus).