Chemical properties of TMP and CTMP prepared from pine wood and UF-bonded medium density fibreboards (MDF)

Subject Thermo-mechanical (TMP) and chemo-thermo-mechanical pulps (CTMP) were prepared from pine wood and from UF-bonded MDF made from pine wood. For preparing TMP pine chips as well as UF-bonded MDF were digested under pressure at 170 degrees C. Thereafter, the digested chips and MDF were defibrated at 170 degrees C using a single disc refiner. CTMP was prepared from pine wood with 0.25% NaOH (based on dry wood) under the conditions set forth above. CTMP was also made from MDF under two conditions using 0.15% sodium hydroxide (% based on dry MDF) and a mixture of sodium sulphite (1%) and sodium hydroxide (0.25%). The pulps show distinct differences in their properties: TMP from UF-bonded MDF shows lower extractive content in cold and hot water, lower pH-value and higher buffering capacity towards alkali of the cold water extractives than the CTMP counterpart. Moreover, CTMP prepared by using sodium hydroxide alone as a pulping agent increases the content of formate and acetate ions in the cold water extractives. The use of a mixture of sodium sulfite and sodium hydroxide as a pulping agent decreases, however, significantly the content of formate and acetate ions in the cold water extractives. This may be due to the buffering action of sodium sulfite. In general, CTMP decreases the formaldehyde release of the fibres, as measured by the flask method. In presence of sodium sulfite as a pulping agent for recycled MDF, the formaldehyde release is slashed to almost 30% of its original value. The formaldehyde release of CTMP from UF-bonded boards seems to be in the same range as that of TMP from virgin wood.