Formation of peracetic acid from hydrogen peroxide and pentaacetyl glucose to activate oxygen delignification

Peracetic acid can be used to activate oxygen delignification, but costs are high for this chemical, which can also be hazardous to handle. A new process in which peracetic acid is generated from the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and pentaacetyl glucose (PAG) may be an alternative to commercial peroxy acids for pulp bleaching. Experiments have shown that the formation of peracetic acid from the reaction is close to being quantitatively equal at about 85%. The freshly prepared peracetic acid was tested for activation in the OxO sequence for both kraft and sulfite pulps. The peracetic acid prepared in this way was found to be as effective as commercial peracetic acid is in bleaching pulp.