White liquorWhite liquor is a strongly alkaline solution composed mainly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. It is used in the first stage of the Kraft process in which lignin and hemicellulose are separated from cellulose fiber for the production of pulp. The white liquor breaks the chemical bonds between lignin and cellulose substructures in wood materials and further degrades the lignin itself. Sulfide is the active component in delignification.
Kraft paperKraft paper or kraft, also known as brown paper, is paper or paperboard (cardboard) produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process. Sack kraft paper (or just sack paper) is a porous kraft paper with high elasticity and high tear resistance, designed for packaging products with high demands for strength and durability.
Sodium hydroxideSodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda and, more generically, as lye, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodiumcationsNa and hydroxideanionsOH. As a strong nucleophile, it is frequently used in SN2 reactions. Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosivebase and alkali that decomposes lipids and proteins at ambient temperatures, and may cause severe chemical burns at high concentrations.
Pulp (paper)Pulp is a fibrous lignocellulosic material prepared by chemically, semi-chemically, or mechanically isolating the cellulosic fibers of wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemicals or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw material used in papermaking and the industrial production of other paper products.
PaperPaper is a thin sheet of matted cellulosefibers. Largely derived from lignocellulose, paper is created from a pulp dissolved into a slurry that is drained and dried into sheets. Different types of paper are defined by constituent fiber, paper pulp, sizing, coating, paper size, paper density and grammage.
CelluloseCellulose is an organic compound with the formula(C6H10O5)n, a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linkedD-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the cell walls of green plants, many forms of algae, the oomycetes, and test of sea squirts. Some species of bacteria secrete it to form biofilms. Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on Earth.
Sodium sulfideSodium sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula Na2S. More common is its hydrate Na2S·9H2O. Both the anhydrous and the hydrated salts are colorless solids, although technical grades of sodium sulfide are generally yellow to brick red owing to the presence of polysulfides. It is commonly supplied as a crystalline mass, in flake form, or as a fused solid. They are water-soluble, giving strongly alkaline solutions.
Chemical bondA chemical bond is the association of atoms or ions to form molecules, crystals, and other structures. The bond may result from the electrostatic force between oppositely charged ions, as in ionic bonds; the sharing of electrons, as in covalent bonds; or some combination of these effects.
LigninLignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity and do not rot easily. Chemically, lignins are polymers made by the cross-linking of phenolic precursors.
WoodFibrous material from trees or other plantsWood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. Being a natural material, it is characterized as an organic material – a natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin and hemicelluloses that resists compression.
Industrial processesIndustrial processes are procedures involving chemical, physical, electrical, or mechanical steps to aid in the manufacturing of an item or items, usually carried out on a very large scale. Industrial processes are the key components of heavy industry.
WoodchipsWoodchips are small- to medium-sized pieces of wood formed by cutting or chipping larger pieces of wood such as trees, branches, logging residues, stumps, roots, and wood waste. Woodchips may be used as a biomass solid fuel and are raw material for producing wood pulp. They may also be used as an organic mulch in gardening, landscaping, and ecosystem restoration; in bioreactors for denitrification; and as a substrate for mushroom cultivation.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.