Experiences With the Utilization of Bark-Beetle-Killed Norway Spruce (Picea Abies) in Mechanical Pulping Operations for Supercalandered Magazine Paper, 2007 International Mechanical Pulping Conference

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Bark Beetles like Ips typographus or Pityogenes chalcographus are a big threat for European softwoods, espe-cially for Picea abies (Norway spruce), the most important European tree species utilized in mechanical pulping operations. In recent years the amount of bark-beetle-killed (BBK) Norway spruce rose dramatically. Since 2001 more than 7.8 million m³ (20 % of the total harvest) of BBK Norway spruce were harvested in south-west Ger-many.

Seven mill-scale grinding and lab-scale bleaching trials were performed to investigate the influence of BBK spruce pulpwood on the pulp and paper quality. The results show that BBK Norway spruce can be used in me-chanical pulping operations but the achieved pulp and paper quality is somewhat inferior compared with fresh and sound Norway spruce. The initial brightness was determined to be 60.2 %. At a freeness level of 75 °SR, BBK spruce gave a tensile index of 38.3 Nm/g while fresh Norway spruce produced laboratory sheets with a ten-sile index of 39.2 Nm/g.