A Case Study on the Effects of Lignin Recovery on Recovery Boiler Operation, 2010 TAPPI/PAPTAC International Chemical Recovery Conference

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Lignin recovery from the black liquor of a pulp mill has become an attractive process option. Burning lignin lean black liquor may in some cases clear the way for mill capacity increase. Lignin can be combusted with higher efficiency in a power boiler or used as a fuel to substitute fossil fuel in a lime kiln. Lignin recovery and further refining to transportation fuels or specialty chemicals is also seen as a part of many potential biorefinery platforms.

The effects of lignin recovery used as a means for mill capacity raise in a modern hardwood pulp mill case are evaluated as a table top study. The operational limits of the recovery boiler and the overall operation of the recovery process of the mill are of interest in the evaluation. Depending on the approach, lignin recovery maximum is limited either by the combustion conditions in the recovery boiler or by the smelt production for further processing at the white liquor plant.