CHEM-E1160Biomass Pretreatmentand Fractionation – inLaboratorySession 1: Introduction

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Sellu & Paperi Oy is a big but verytraditional pulp and paper companyPulp mills in Finland and in South America, paper and boardmills in FinlandMain products are papermaking pulp and graphic papers

• Raw materials: eucalyptus, birch, northern softwood (Scotts pine &Norway spruce)

• Especially paper sector struggling at the moment• Looking for new products and markets

Mr. Ken Suurtyötunti (Ph.D.), Research Director of Sellu & PaperiOy, is offering a job to two research teams!

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Backgroundby Ken Suurtyötunti, Ph.D.

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Global graphic paper production1961-2014 (million tonnes)

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0

20

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60

80

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1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010Original data: FAO Stat, http://faostat3.fao.org/browse/F/*/E

Development of pulp markets

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M. Diesen, Economics of the pulp and paper industry, Paperi ja Puu Oy, Jyväskylä, 2007, p. 13

NBSKP = Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft PulpBHKP = Bleached Hardwood Kraft Pulp

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Company strategy: More value-addedproducts from biomass!Utilizing side-streams and tailoring produced pulp for specificrefining paths, i.e. production of specific products.

Widening the product portfolio through transforming the pulpmills into biorefineries.

In order to see which feasible solutions there are, two researchprojects are launched.

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Project 1: Biorefineries and textileapplicationsTextile fibres can be manufactured from certain type of cellulosic pulp(dissolving pulp).Examples of questions to answer

1. What is the size of this business – is the so-called “cellulose gap” true?2. Which kind of modifications are needed in the production process?3. Which wood species is the best for production of dissolving pulp

(eucalyptus, birch, pine)?4. Utilization potential of the side-streams in the production process

(hemicellulose, lignin, extractive fractions)?5. How much competition is there in this area? Which products compete

with cellulosic-based textile fibres?

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Project 2: Biorefineries products andinternet (digitalization)Graphic paper markets are decreasing due to internet (digitalization) –is there any paper/board/pulp market which is increasing due to it?Examples of questions to answer

1. What is the size of the packaging business and how is it affected by theinternet and digitalization?

2. Which kind of modifications are needed in the production process?3. Which wood species is the best for production of the wanted product

or products (eucalyptus, birch, pine)?4. Utilization potential of the side-streams in the production process

(hemicellulose, lignin, extractive fractions)?5. How much competition is there in this area? Which products compete

with e.g. cellulosic-based packaging materials?

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Forming the research teams and theirtasksTeam 1 works with Project 1, Team 2 works with Project 2

Deliverables in a week (by Thu, Jan. 21st)• Team name and tentative project plan• Answers to (the most) of the example questions (e.g. a SWOT analysis of

biomass-based products and the competitive products in the area)Deliverables by the end of Period III

• Plan for production of one product from the cellulose fraction and (at least) oneproduct from another fraction in the lab scale

• Team work plan: who does what and when?Deliverables by the end of Period IV

• Lab exercise results, including mass balances and product characterization• First version of the project report

Deliverables by the end of Period V• Final version of the project report

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