Elemental chlorine free (ECF) is a technique that uses
chlorine dioxide
Chlorine dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula ClO2 that exists as yellowish-green gas above 11 °C, a reddish-brown liquid between 11 °C and −59 °C, and as bright orange crystals below −59 °C. It is usually ...
for the
bleaching of wood pulp. It does not use elemental
chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine i ...
gas during the bleaching process and prevents the formation of
dioxins and dioxin-like compounds
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) are a group of chemical compounds that are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment. They are mostly by-products of burning or various industrial processes - or, in case of dioxin-like PCBs ...
,
carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...
s. The traditional ECF sequence is DEopDEpD
using the common letter symbols for bleaching stages,
though many improved sequences are available.
(TCF) is paper that does not use any chlorine compounds for wood pulp bleaching.
See also
*
Environmental issues with paper
The environmental effects of paper are significant, which has led to changes in industry and behaviour at both business and personal levels. With the use of modern technology such as the printing press and the highly mechanized harvesting of woo ...
References
External links
Alliance for Environmental Technology- ''ECF: The Sustainable Technology''
Paper
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