The recycling of paper has become increasingly important over the past decade.

The
drivers of this change include both environmental and governmental forces. In
papermaking, the drying process causes morphological changes in the paper fibers,
which prevents rehydration and reduces the subsequent bonding ability of the fibers.
Increased refining, while restoring the bonding ability, has a detrimental effect on the
freeness and ability of the pulp to drain. The studies and literature reviews described
below address these issues in order to increase the use of recovered paper worldwide.
A comprehensive literature review of the characteristics and uses of paper mill sludge
was developed. This is an important topic because waste handling is a concern in all
pulp and paper mills. It is especially critical in mills where secondary fiber is used.
Sludge composition, separation, treatment, and disposal methods need to be
addressed. This work explored the composition of sludge resulting from the pulp and
papermaking process and compared secondary fiber and virgin fiber operations. The
residue from separate operations was characterized, indicating the composition of the
various waste streams in the mill. Alternative disposal methods were discussed in
reference to these characteristics. The conclusion of the review was that the final
sludge use could be based on its characterization, resulting in more efficient use of the
residue.
A review of the current technology for fiber fractionation is given. The processing
equipment available for fiber fractionation is discussed alongwith the grades of
recovered paper that are considered candidates forfractionation. Because the fiber
fractions often have distinctly dissimilar properties, they react differently to the
various operations such as cleaning or bleaching. The work here also addresses the
characterization of the fractions, modelling of fractionation, discusses other recycling
operations, and the effect of fractionation on fiber properties. Other work, cited below,
discusses the effect of recycling operations on contaminant removal.

Key Publications

Paper Recycling