Polysulfide-borohydride modification of southern pine alkaline pulping integrated with hydrothermal pre-extraction of hemicelluloses

We studied three process modifications to investigate their effects on the property and yield recovery capabilities of kraft pulping integrated with hemicellulose pre-extraction of southern pine. Loblolly pine chips were pre-extracted with hot water until the sugar extraction yield reached the targeted value of 10% and then subjected to conventional and modified kraft pulping. Modification included polysulfide pretreatment; polysulfide-sodium borohydride dual pretreatment, and polysulfide followed by polysulfide-sodium borohydride dual pretreatment two-stage pretreatments prior to kraft pulping. In the first modification, about 5% of the lost pulp yield (total 7%) caused by hemicellulose pre-extraction could be recovered with 15%-20% polysulfide pretreatment. Complete recovery (7%) was achieved with simultaneous pretreatment using 15% polysulfide and 0.5% sodium borohydride with 0.1% anthraquinone in polysulfide-sodium borohydride dual pretreatment. Two-stage pretreatment using recycled 15% polysulfide followed by simultaneous treatment of 6% polysulfide and 0.4%-0.5% sodium borohydride with 0.1% anthraquinone also achieved 100% yield recovery. Continuous recycling of 15% polysulfide employed in the two-stage process modification maintained its yield protection efficiency in a repeated recycling cycle. No significant changes in paper strength were found in handsheets prepared from the three process modifications, except for a minor reduction in tear strength.