Novel Method for Real-Time Measurement of Alkaline Pulping Yield, 1998 Pulping Conference Proceedings

The following paper describes a new, relatively simple method for real-time measurement of alkaline pulping yield.

This new method is based upon a component mass balance of cellulose and composition analysis of pulp. It is shown that the cellulose mass balance can be re-arranged so as to express brownstock yield as a linear function of a single parameter which is based on the mass fraction of cellulose in pulp and the number average degree of polymerization for cellulose in pulp. Having established this relationship, the real-time measurement of yield for any alkaline pulping process and any furnish can then be achieved by simply measuring pulp solution viscosity and composition.

Data from testing of various furnishes, as well as data from several independent laboratories, are presented here and confirm the universal applicability of this relationship. The new method of analysis thus makes possible rapid and precise real-time measurement of yield which in turn will greatly facilitate process optimization in full scale pulping systems.