Evaluation Of Loblolly Pine Mechanical Pulps In LWC Paper, 2007 Coating & Graphic Arts Conference

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Although the wood cost of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is lower than that of northern softwoods due to its fast growth rate and suitability for plantation harvesting, loblolly pine mechanical pulps tend to have poor quality and are mainly used in low value grades such as newsprint. Our recent studies have shown that low intensity refining or chemical pretreatments can significantly improve the mature pine pulp quality and make it possible to be used in high value grades like lightweight coated paper (LWC). In this report, we present our evaluation of the use of bleached low intensity mature loblolly pine thermomechanical pulp, bleached mature pine chemithermomechanical pulp, and bleached juvenile pine thermomechanical pulp in LWC paper, focusing on base sheet structure and surface roughness as well as their effect on coating quality and printability. Results show that, compared to a control sheet using a commercial spruce/aspen bleached thermomechanical pulp, it is possible to use loblolly pine mechanical pulps in LWC furnish. However, precalendering is the key to reduce sheet porosity and surface roughness in order to attain good coating holdout and uniform coverage.